Śrī Aruṇācala Padigam: Tamil text, transliteration and translation

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Śrī Aruṇācala Padigam: Tamil text, transliteration and translation

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In continuation of my translations of other works of Bhagavan, such as Nāṉ Ār?, Upadēśa Undiyār, Upadēśa Sāraḥ, Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu, Upadēśa Kaliveṇbā, Appaḷa Pāṭṭu, Āṉma-Viddai, Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu Anubandham, Aruṇācala Tattuvam and Dīpa-Darśaṉa Tattuvam and Śrī Aruṇācala Navamaṇimālai, this is my translation of ஸ்ரீ அருணாசல பதிகம் (Śrī Aruṇācala Padigam), and in the coming months or years I hope to be able to revise and post here my translations of all his other original writings.

1. Verse 1: be gracious, giving me sight of you, so that my heart may blossom like a lotus seeing the sun
2. Verse 2: give me such love for you, the very form of love, that I melt like wax in fire thinking of you
3. Verse 3: fulfilling your intention to kill me without leaving an iota of life, shine forever as the only one
4. Verse 4: protecting me, this worthless wretch, from falling into desolation, you kept me fixed permanently at your feet
5. Verse 5: so that I am not like a deer trapped in a net, destroy my weary suffering
6. Verse 6: make me, who have been like a frog clinging to the stem of a lotus, be a flower-bee drinking the fine honey of your state of awareness
7. Verse 7: since nothing is other than you, the space of light, who am I who come out as if another? Come out, Arunachala, placing your feet on the head of this ego
8. Verse 8: though possessed by madness of love for you, I am bereft of the fruit of this madness, so give me the rare medicine by which to reach your feet
9. Verse 9: taking my burden as yours and ordaining my activity to cease, do not allow me henceforth to be away from your feet
10. Verse 10: when we think of Arunachala once, it will subdue our mental activity, pull us inwards to face itself, thereby making us motionless like itself, and then consume us as a sacrificial offering
11. Verse 11: there is on Earth one rare medicine, namely this Aruna Hill, that when thought of once within the mind will kill without killing

Introduction

While Bhagavan was living in Virupaksha Cave (probably sometime after he had composed Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai, which may have been between about 1912 and 1915, and before he moved up to Skandasramam, which was in 1916), one morning he was sitting on the verandah of the cave when the words ‘கருணையா லென்னை யாண்ட நீ’ (karuṇaiyāl eṉṉai yāṇḍa nī), ‘you, who by grace took charge of me’, rose spontaneously in his heart. Though at first he ignored them, these words continued to rise insistently, so eventually he allowed them to flow, and thus the first verse of ஸ்ரீ அருணாசல பதிகம் (Śrī Aruṇācala Padigam) poured forth from his heart.

This first verse ended with the word அன்பே (aṉbē), addressing Arunachala as ‘O Love’, and the next morning the words ‘அன்புரு வருணாசல’ (aṉburu varuṇācala), ‘Arunachala, the form of love’, rose in his heart, so once again, after ignoring them for a while, he allowed them to flow, and thus the second verse poured forth from his heart. In this way, each day for the next week a new verse welled up in his heart, and each of them began with the first one or two syllables of the final foot of the previous verse, so after nine days he had spontaneously composed nine verses without any effort or prior volition, and on the tenth day two more verses flowed out, making the number up to eleven.

The next day he started for giri-pradakṣiṇa (walking barefoot around Arunachala in a clockwise direction) accompanied by a devotee called Palaniswami, and as they were leaving another devotee called Aiyaswami gave Palaniswami some paper and a pencil saying that since Bhagavan had recently been composing verses every day, he may compose some more at any time, so Palaniswami should have the paper and pencil ready in case he did so. That day while walking round the hill Bhagavan composed six more verses, and when a devotee called Narayana Reddi came to Virupakshi either that evening or the next day and heard about these verses, he wanted to have them printed. Bhagavan then looked at them again, and seeing that the first eleven were composed in a metre called எழுசீர்விருத்தம் (eṙu-cīr-viruttam), which has seven feet (eṙu cīrgaḷ) in each line, whereas the other six were composed in a metre called எண்சீர்விருத்தம் (eṇ-cīr-viruttam), which has eight metrical feet (eṇ cīrgaḷ) in each line, he named the first eleven verses ஸ்ரீ அருணாசல பதிகம் (Śrī Aruṇācala Padigam), because ‘பதிகம்’ (padigam) means a poem or song consisting of ten or eleven verses, and then to make the other six verses into an அஷ்டகம் (aṣṭakam), a song of eight verses, he composed two more verses in the same eṇ-cīr-viruttam metre and named those eight ஸ்ரீ அருணாசல அஷ்டகம் (Śrī Aruṇācala Aṣṭakam).

(This account of how Bhagavan came to compose these two songs is largely based on what Devaraja Mudaliar recorded Bhagavan recounting in Day by Day with Bhagavan, 26-10-45 Morning and 9-5-46.)

Just as each verse of Śrī Aruṇācala Padigam begins with the first one or two syllables of the final foot of the previous verse, the first verse of Śrī Aruṇācala Aṣṭakam begins with the first two syllables of the final foot of the last verse of Śrī Aruṇācala Padigam, and each subsequent verse begins with the first one or two syllables of the final foot of the previous one.

Eight of the eleven verses of Śrī Aruṇācala Padigam, namely verses 1 to 3 and 5 to 9, are prayers expressed either explicitly of implicitly. In the first verse he prays to Arunachala to be gracious, giving him his காட்சி (kāṭci), sight of him (implying awareness of him as he actually is), so that his heart may blossom like a lotus seeing the sun. Since Arunachala is love itself, we cannot see him as he actually is without all-consuming love to surrender ourself completely to him, so in the second verse he prays to him to give him such love for him that he melts like wax in fire thinking of him, and concludes by saying ‘Your wish is my wish; that is happiness for me, Lord of my soul’. Since Arunachala is ourself as we actually are, we cannot see him as he actually is without seeing ourself as we actually are, and we cannot see ourself as we actually are without thereby annihilating ego, the false awareness ‘I am this body’, so in the third verse he prays to Arunachala, who had by his grace pulled him to himself even though he had no love to think of him, to complete the task he had started by fulfilling his intention to kill him without leaving an iota of life, thereby putting an end to the seeming distinction between God and soul so that he shines forever as the only one.

Though he prays in these verses as if he were still a spiritual aspirant struggling to surrender himself completely, that complete surrender and consequent annihilation of ego had in fact occurred many years earlier on that day in July 1896 when an intense fear of death arose in him, in response to which he turned his entire attention inwards to see what this ‘I’ actually is, as he indirectly indicates in the fourth verse, in which he humbly attributes that surrender entirely to the grace of Arunachala, wondering why of all people he chose him, a worthless and ignorant wretch, protecting him from falling into the desolation of saṁsāra (embodied existence) and keeping him fixed permanently at his feet, implying his own state of blissful pure awareness.

In the fifth verse, however, he again slips back into a prayerful mode, implying that though Lord Arunachala had secretly and stealthily taken him and kept him at his feet, he has not yet revealed to him what his real nature actually is, and consequently beseeching him to destroy his weary suffering so that he does not remain like a deer trapped in a net, but concluding by asking who am I to understand your will. What he means by destroying his weary suffering is made clear by him in the sixth verse, in which he laments that though he has been staying constantly at the feet of Arunachala, who is the ultimate reality, he has been like a frog clinging to the stem of a lotus, and therefore praying to him to make him be a flower-bee drinking the fine honey of his state of pure awareness.

By rising as ego we seemingly separate ourself from Arunachala, the infinite reality, which is the source and one real substance of all that appears to be, but since nothing can actually be other than Arunachala, the infinite space of light (the light of pure awareness), in the seventh verse Bhagavan asks: ‘who else am I?’ That is, since Arunachala shines without another in the heart as the space of pure awareness, who am I who come out as if another? He concludes this verse, therefore, by praying to Arunachala to come out, placing his fully blossomed lotus-feet on the head of this ego, thereby crushing it forever back into the heart.

To the extent to which Arunachala gives us love to surrender ourself to him, he thereby destroys in us any inclination to know how to live in this world, so until he completes the work of his grace by annihilating us completely, he keeps us a state in which we feel worthless, being unfit either to surrender ourself completely or to live in this world, so in the eighth verse Bhagavan says it is better to die than to live in this miserable condition, because though we are possessed by the madness of love for Arunachala, we are bereft of the fruit of this madness, and hence he prays to the Supreme, who has taken the form of Arunachala, which shines on Earth as the medicine for madness, to give him the rare medicine by which to reach his feet, namely his state of pure awareness.

We suffer in this world because we have risen as ego, thereby seemingly separating ourself from Arunachala, the Supreme, and we do not cease to rise as ego because we lack the supreme wisdom to cling without attachment to his feet, so in the ninth verse Bhagavan says that what he has got by separating from Arunachala and grasping this world on his head is enough, and hence prays to him to take his entire burden, ordaining his activity (implying his rising as ego to do anything) to cease, and thereby not allowing him henceforth to be away from his feet.

Thus the first nine verses of Śrī Aruṇācala Padigam are all addressed to Arunachala and most of them are prayers, but in the last two verses Bhagavan turns to address us, explaining the great efficacy of thinking of Arunachala and therefore declaring that there is on Earth one rare medicine, namely this Aruna Hill, that when thought of once within the mind will kill without killing. In the tenth verse, after saying that he has seen a great wonder, this magnetic hill that forcibly seizes the soul, attracting and pulling it to itself, he goes on to explain what happens when we think of Arunachala even once, saying that it will subdue our outward-going mental activity, pull us inwards to face towards itself, the one (implying the one reality that shines within us as our fundamental awareness, ‘I am’), thereby making us motionless like itself, and then take us as a sacrificial offering (bali), implying that he will consume us, who will have been ripened by this process into a pure and sweet soul, fit for divine consumption. He then concludes this verse by advising us therefore to be saved by thinking of this great Aruna Hill, the killer of the soul, who shines in the heart (implying that he is what shines within us as our own being, ‘I am’).

Finally in the eleventh verse he begins by exclaiming, ‘Like me who considered this hill to be the Supreme, how many are those who have been destroyed!’, and then addressing all those who are wandering about thinking of a means to give up the body, having given up desire for this life because of its immense misery, he declares that there is on Earth one rare medicine, namely this Aruna Hill, that when thought of once within the mind will kill without killing, implying that it will kill ego without killing us, because what we actually are is the one infinite, eternal and immutable reality, which shines outside in the form of this great Aruna Hill, and inside as our own being, our fundamental awareness, ‘I am’.

எழுசீர்விருத்தம் (eṙu-cīr-viruttam)

Verse 1:

கருணையா லென்னை யாண்டநீ யெனக்குன்
      காட்சிதந் தருளிலை யென்றா
லிருணலி யுலகி லேங்கியே பதைத்திவ்
      வுடல்விடி லென்கதி யென்னா
மருணனைக் காணா தலருமோ கமல
      மருணனுக் கருணனா மன்னி
யருணனி சுரந்தங் கருவியாய்ப் பெருகு
      மருணமா மலையெனு மன்பே.

karuṇaiyā leṉṉai yāṇḍanī yeṉakkuṉ
      kāṭcitan daruḷilai yeṉḏṟā
liruṇali yulahi lēṅgiyē padaittiv
      vuḍalviḍi leṉgati yeṉṉā
maruṇaṉaik kāṇā dalarumō kamala
      maruṇaṉuk karuṇaṉā maṉṉi
yaruṇaṉi surandaṅ garuviyāyp peruhu
      maruṇamā malaiyeṉu maṉbē.

பதச்சேதம்: கருணையால் என்னை ஆண்ட நீ எனக்கு உன் காட்சி தந்து அருளிலை என்றால், இருள் நலி உலகில் ஏங்கியே பதைத்து இவ்வுடல் விடில் என் கதி என் ஆம்? அருணனை காணாது அலருமோ கமலம்? அருணனுக்கு அருணன் ஆ மன்னி அருள் நனி சுரந்து அங்கு அருவி ஆய் பெருகும் அருண மா மலை எனும் அன்பே.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): karuṇaiyāl eṉṉai āṇḍa nī eṉakku uṉ kāṭci tandu aruḷ-ilai eṉḏṟāl, iruḷ nali ulahil ēṅgiyē padaittu i-vv-uḍal viḍil eṉ gati eṉ ām? aruṇaṉai kāṇādu alarumō kamalam? aruṇaṉukku aruṇaṉ ā maṉṉi aruḷ naṉi surandu aṅgu aruvi āy peruhum aruṇa-mā-malai eṉum aṉbē.

English translation: If you, who by grace took charge of me, are not gracious, giving to me sight of you, what will be my state if I leave this body, having pined and suffered intensely in the dark and miserable world? Without seeing the sun will a lotus blossom? Being forever as the sun to the sun, O Love called the great Aruna Hill, from which grace surges as a spring, gushing forth abundantly there.

Explanatory paraphrase: If you, who by [your] grace took charge of me, are not gracious, giving to me sight of you [as you actually are], what will be my state if I leave this body [after] pining and suffering intensely in [this] dark and miserable world? Without seeing the sun will a lotus blossom? [Likewise] being forever as the sun to the sun, O Love called the great Aruna Hill, from which grace surges as a spring, gushing forth abundantly there [will my heart blossom without seeing you?]

Padavurai (word-explanation): கருணையால் (karuṇaiyāl): by grace {instrumental (third case) form of karuṇai, Tamil form of the Sanskrit karuṇā, ‘grace’, ‘compassion’, ‘kindness’, ‘tender-heartedness’, ‘pity’ or ‘mercy’} | என்னை (eṉṉai): me {accusative (second case) form of the first person singular pronoun} | ஆண்ட (āṇḍa): who took charge {past adjectival participle of the verb āḷ, ‘take charge’, ‘rule’, ‘govern’, ‘control’, ‘maintain’, ‘cherish’ or ‘care for’} | நீ (nī): you {second person singular pronoun} | எனக்கு (eṉakku): to me {dative (fourth case) form of the first person singular pronoun} | உன் (uṉ): your, of you {inflectional base and genitive (sixth case) form of the second person singular pronoun} | காட்சி (kāṭci): sight (in the sense of what is seen), view, vision, direct perception (pratyakṣa) | தந்து (tandu): giving {adverbial participle} | அருளிலையென்றால் (aruḷ-ilai-y-eṉḏṟāl): if [you] are not gracious {compound of aruḷ, ‘be gracious’, ‘be kind’ or ‘be compassionate’, ilai (poetic abbreviation of illai), ‘not’, and eṉḏṟāl, ‘if saying’ or ‘if said’ (conditional form of eṉ, ‘say’, used in the sense ‘if it is the case that’ or just ‘if’)} >>> so ‘கருணையால் என்னை ஆண்ட நீ எனக்கு உன் காட்சி தந்து அருளிலை என்றால்’ (karuṇaiyāl eṉṉai āṇḍa nī eṉakku uṉ kāṭci tandu aruḷ-ilai eṉḏṟāl) means ‘If you, who by grace took charge of me, are not gracious, giving to me sight of you’ <<< இருள் (iruḷ): darkness (often used metaphorically to mean darkness of mind: delusion, ignorance, moral corruption or suffering) | நலி (nali): misery, suffering, distress | உலகில் (ulahil): in the world {locative (seventh case) form of ulahu, Tamil form of the Sanskrit lōka, ‘world’} | ஏங்கியே (ēṅgiyē): pining intensely, having pined intensely {intensified form of the adverbial participle ēṅgi, ‘pining’, ‘yearning’, ‘longing for’, ‘weeping’ or ‘crying’} | பதைத்து (padaittu): suffering intensely, having suffered intensely {adverbial participle, ‘suffering intensely’, ‘being in agony’ or ‘trembling (in pain, grief or fear)’} | இவ்வுடல் (i-vv-uḍal): this body {compound of the proximal demonstrative prefix i, ‘this’, and uḍal, ‘body’} | விடில் (viḍil): if leaving, if [I] leave {conditional form of viḍu, ‘leave’, ‘abandon’, ‘discard’, ‘let go of’ or ‘separate from’} >>> so ‘இருள் நலி உலகில் ஏங்கியே பதைத்து இவ்வுடல் விடில்’ (iruḷ nali ulahil ēṅgiyē padaittu i-vv-uḍal viḍil) means ‘if I leave this body, having pined and suffered intensely in the dark and miserable world’ <<< என் (eṉ): my {inflectional base and genitive (sixth case) form of the first person singular pronoun} | கதி (gati): state {Sanskrit word with a range of meanings, including ‘means’, ‘way’, ‘path’, ‘refuge’, ‘goal’, ‘salvation’, ‘state’ or ‘condition’} | என் (eṉ): what {interrogative pronoun} | ஆம் (ām): will be {third person singular future form of ā, ‘be’ or ‘become’} >>> so ‘என் கதி என் ஆம்?’ (eṉ gati eṉ ām?) means ‘what will be my state?’ (implying ‘what will become of me?’), and hence this first sentence, ‘கருணையால் என்னை ஆண்ட நீ எனக்கு உன் காட்சி தந்து அருளிலை என்றால், இருள் நலி உலகில் ஏங்கியே பதைத்து இவ்வுடல் விடில் என் கதி என் ஆம்?’ (karuṇaiyāl eṉṉai āṇḍa nī eṉakku uṉ kāṭci tandu aruḷ-ilai eṉḏṟāl, iruḷ nali ulahil ēṅgiyē padaittu i-vv-uḍal viḍil eṉ gati eṉ ām?), means ‘If you, who by grace took charge of me, are not gracious, giving to me sight of you, what will be my state if I leave this body, having pined and suffered intensely in the dark and miserable world?’, which implies:

If you, who by [your] grace took charge of me, are not gracious, giving to me sight of you [as you actually are], what will be my state if I leave this body [after] pining and suffering intensely in [this] dark and miserable world?

<<< அருணனை (aruṇaṉai): the sun {accusative (second case) form of aruṇaṉ, Tamil form of the Sanskrit aruṇa, ‘sun’} | காணாது (kāṇādu): not seeing, without seeing {negative adverbial participle} | அலருமோ (alarumō): will it blossom {interrogative form of alarum, third person singular future form of alar, ‘blossom’, ‘bloom’, ‘open up’ or ‘expand’} | கமலம் (kamalam): lotus {Tamil form of the Sanskrit kamala, ‘lotus’} >>> so this second sentence, ‘அருணனை காணாது அலருமோ கமலம்?’ (aruṇaṉai kāṇādu alarumō kamalam?), means:

Without seeing the sun will a lotus blossom?

<<< அருணனுக்கு (aruṇaṉukku): to the sun {dative (fourth case) form of aruṇaṉ, ‘sun’} | அருணன் (aruṇaṉ): sun | ஆ (ā): being, as {root of this verb used here an adverbial suffix} | மன்னி (maṉṉi): being forever {adverbial participle of maṉṉu, ‘be permanent’, ‘endure’, ‘remain’, ‘stay’, ‘persevere’ or ‘be steady’} >>> so ‘அருணனுக்கு அருணன் ஆ மன்னி’ (aruṇaṉukku aruṇaṉ ā maṉṉi) means ‘being forever as the sun to the sun’ <<< அருள் (aruḷ): grace, kindness, tender-heartedness, compassion, mercy, benevolence {both a noun and a verb, used here as a noun} | நனி (naṉi): abundantly, well {adverb} | சுரந்து (surandu): gushing forth {adverbial participle of sura, ‘spring forth’, ‘stream out’, ‘gush’, ‘flow’, ‘increase steadily’, ‘pour forth continuously’ or ‘give abundantly’} | அங்கு (aṅgu): there {adverb} | அருவி (aruvi): spring, waterfall | ஆய் (āy): being, as {adverbial participle} | பெருகும் (peruhum): surging, from which it surges {future (but used generically as a continuous present) adjectival participle of peruhu, ‘rise’, ‘surge’, ‘swell’, ‘overflow’, ‘increase’, ‘grow’, ‘prosper’ or ‘become full’} >>> so ‘அருள் நனி சுரந்து அங்கு அருவி ஆய் பெருகும்’ (aruḷ naṉi surandu aṅgu aruvi āy peruhum) is an adjectival (or relative) clause that means ‘from which grace surges as a spring, gushing forth abundantly there’ <<< அருணமாமலை (aruṇa-mā-malai): Aruna-great-hill, great Aruna Hill {compound of aruṇa, ‘Aruna’, mā (Tamil form of the Sanskrit mahā), ‘great’, and malai, ‘hill’ or ‘mountain’} | எனும் (eṉum): called, which is called, which is said {future (but used generically as a continuous present) adjectival participle of eṉ, ‘say’, ‘utter’ or ‘express’} | அன்பே (aṉbē): love, O love {vocative (eighth case) form of aṉbu, ‘love’, ‘affection’, ‘grace’ or ‘benevolence’} >>> so ‘அருண மா மலை எனும் அன்பே’ (aruṇa-mā-malai eṉum aṉbē) is a vocative phrase that means ‘O Love called the great Aruna Hill’, and hence this third sentence, ‘அருணனுக்கு அருணன் ஆ மன்னி, அருள் நனி சுரந்து அங்கு அருவி ஆய் பெருகும் அருண மா மலை எனும் அன்பே’ (aruṇaṉukku aruṇaṉ ā maṉṉi, aruḷ naṉi surandu aṅgu aruvi āy peruhum aruṇa-mā-malai eṉum aṉbē), means ‘Being forever as the sun to the sun, O Love called the great Aruna Hill, from which grace surges as a spring, gushing forth abundantly there’, which implies:

[Likewise] being forever as the sun to the sun, O Love called the great Aruna Hill, from which grace surges as a spring, gushing forth abundantly there [will my heart blossom without seeing you?]

Verse 2:

அன்புரு வருணா சலவழன் மெழுகா
      யகத்துனை நினைத்துநைந் துருகு
மன்பிலி யெனக்குன் னன்பினை யருளா
      தாண்டெனை யழித்திட லழகோ
வன்பினில் விளையு மின்பமே யன்ப
      ரகத்தினி லூறுமா ரமுதே
யென்புக லிடநின் னிட்டமென் னிட்ட
      மின்பதெற் கென்னுயி ரிறையே.

aṉburu varuṇā calavaṙaṉ meṙuhā
      yahattuṉai niṉaittunain duruhu
maṉbili yeṉakkuṉ ṉaṉbiṉai yaruḷā
      dāṇḍeṉai yaṙittiḍa laṙahō
vaṉbiṉil viḷaiyu miṉbamē yaṉba
      rahattiṉi lūṟumā ramudē
yeṉpuha liḍaniṉ ṉiṭṭameṉ ṉiṭṭa
      miṉbadeṯ keṉṉuyi riṟaiyē.

பதச்சேதம்: அன்பு உரு அருணாசல, அழன் மெழுகாய் அகத்து உனை நினைத்து நைந்து உருகும் அன்பு இலி எனக்கு உன் அன்பினை அருளாது ஆண்டு எனை அழித்திடல் அழகோ? அன்பினில் விளையும் இன்பமே, அன்பர் அகத்தினில் ஊறும் ஆர் அமுதே, என் புகலிட? நின் இட்டம் என் இட்டம்; இன்பு அது எற்கு, என் உயிர் இறையே.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): aṉbu-uru aruṇācala, aṙaṉ meṙuhāy ahattu uṉai niṉaittu naindu uruhum aṉbu ili eṉakku uṉ aṉbiṉai aruḷādu āṇḍu eṉai aṙittiḍal aṙahō? aṉbiṉil viḷaiyum iṉbamē, aṉbar ahattiṉil ūṟum ār amudē, eṉ puhaliḍa? niṉ iṭṭam eṉ iṭṭam; iṉbu adu eṯku, eṉ uyir iṟaiyē.

English translation: Arunachala, the form of love, having taken charge, is ruining me befitting, not granting love for you to me, one without love in which one melts, softening like wax in fire thinking of you in the heart? O happiness produced in love, O satiating ambrosia welling up in the heart of devotees, what to say? Your wish is my wish; that is happiness for me, Lord of my soul.

Explanatory paraphrase: Arunachala, the form of love [the one whose very form, nature or essence is love], having taken charge [of me], is it befitting [for you] to ruin me [by] not granting love for you to me, [who am] one without [such] love in which one melts, softening like wax in fire thinking of you in the heart [the very centre of oneself]? O happiness produced [born, grown or ripened] in love, O satiating [pervading or enduring] ambrosia welling up in the heart of devotees, what to say? Your iṣṭam [wish, liking, desire or will] is my iṣṭam; that is happiness for me, Lord of my soul [or life].

Padavurai (word-explanation): அன்புரு (aṉburu): love-form, form of love {compound of aṉbu, ‘love’, ‘affection’, ‘grace’ or ‘benevolence’, and uru, ‘form’, implying the one whose very form, nature or essence is love} | அருணாசல (aruṇācala): Arunachala {vocative (eighth case) form of aruṇācalaṉ, personal (masculine) form of aruṇācalam, Tamil form of the Sanskrit aruṇācala} >>> so ‘அன்பு உரு அருணாசல’ (aṉbu-uru aruṇācala) is an address of Arunachala as ‘Arunachala, the form of love’ <<< அழன் (aṙaṉ): fire (an alternative form of aṙal, ‘fire’, ‘flame’ or ‘heat’) | மெழுகாய் (meṙuhāy): as wax, like wax {compound of meṙuhu, ‘wax’ or ‘beeswax’, and the adverbial suffix āy, ‘being’, ‘as’ or ‘like’} | அகத்து (ahattu): in the heart {inflectional base of aham, ‘inside’, ‘heart’ or ‘mind’, used here in a locative (seventh case) sense} | உனை (uṉai): you {poetic abbreviation of uṉṉai, accusative (second case) form of the second person singular pronoun} | நினைத்து (niṉaittu): thinking of, meditating on {adverbial participle} | நைந்து (naindu): softening {adverbial participle of nai, ‘be crushed’, ‘be bruised’, ‘be injured’, ‘be spoiled’, ‘be overripe’ (and hence ‘soften’ like an overripe fruit), ‘be frayed’, ‘be worn out’, ‘waste away’, ‘perish’, ‘dwindle’, ‘decrease’, ‘droop’, ‘languish’, ‘faint’, ‘fade’ or ‘be distressed’} | உருகும் (uruhum): melting, in which one melts {future (but used generically as a continuous present) adjectival participle of uruhu, ‘melt’, ‘dissolve’ or ‘become tender’} | அன்பிலி (aṉbili): one without love, one who does not have love {compound of aṉbu, ‘love’, ‘affection’, ‘attachment’, ‘friendship’ or ‘devotion’, and the suffix ili, ‘one who is without’} >>> so ‘அழன் மெழுகாய் அகத்து உனை நினைத்து நைந்து உருகும் அன்பு இலி’ (aṙaṉ meṙuhāy ahattu uṉai niṉaittu naindu uruhum aṉbu ili) means ‘one without love in which one melts, softening like wax in fire thinking of you in the heart’ <<< எனக்கு (eṉakku): to me {dative (fourth case) form of the first person singular pronoun} | உன் (uṉ): your, of you {inflectional base and genitive (sixth case) form of the second person singular pronoun, but used here in a context in which in English it is more natural to say ‘for you’ rather than ‘of you’} | அன்பினை (aṉbiṉai): love {accusative (second case) form of aṉbu, ‘love’, ‘affection’ or ‘devotion’} | அருளாது (aruḷādu): not granting {negative adverbial participle of aruḷ, ‘be gracious’, ‘be kind’, ‘be compassionate’, ‘favour’, ‘grant’ or ‘bestow’} >>> so ‘எனக்கு உன் அன்பினை அருளாது’ (eṉakku uṉ aṉbiṉai aruḷādu) means ‘not granting love for you to me’ <<< ஆண்டு (āṇḍu): taking charge, having taken charge {adverbial participle of the verb āḷ, ‘take charge’, ‘rule’, ‘govern’, ‘control’, ‘maintain’, ‘cherish’ or ‘care for’} | எனை (eṉai): me {poetic abbreviation of eṉṉai, accusative (second case) form of the first person singular pronoun} | அழித்திடல் (aṙittiḍal): ruining, damaging, destroying {verbal noun} | அழகோ (aṙahō): is it beauty, is it befitting {interrogative form of aṙahu, ‘beauty’} >>> so ‘ஆண்டு எனை அழித்திடல் அழகோ?’ (āṇḍu eṉai aṙittiḍal aṙahō?) means ‘having taken charge, is ruining me befitting?’, and hence this first sentence, ‘அன்பு உரு அருணாசல, அழன் மெழுகாய் அகத்து உனை நினைத்து நைந்து உருகும் அன்பு இலி எனக்கு உன் அன்பினை அருளாது ஆண்டு எனை அழித்திடல் அழகோ?’ (aṉbu-uru aruṇācala, aṙaṉ meṙuhāy ahattu uṉai niṉaittu naindu uruhum aṉbu ili eṉakku uṉ aṉbiṉai aruḷādu āṇḍu eṉai aṙittiḍal aṙahō?), means ‘Arunachala, the form of love, having taken charge, is ruining me befitting, not granting love for you to me, one without love in which one melts, softening like wax in fire thinking of you in the heart?’, which implies:

Arunachala, the form of love [the one whose very form, nature or essence is love], having taken charge [of me], is it befitting [for you] to ruin me [by] not granting love for you to me, [who am] one without [such] love in which one melts, softening like wax in fire thinking of you in the heart [the very centre of oneself]?

<<< அன்பினில் (aṉbiṉil): in love {locative (seventh case) form of aṉbu, ‘love’} | விளையும் (viḷaiyum): produced, which is produced {future (but used generically as a continuous present) adjectival participle of viḷai, ‘be produced’, ‘result’ or ‘ripen’} | இன்பமே (iṉbamē): happiness, O happiness {vocative (eighth case) form of iṉbam, ‘happiness’, ‘joy’ or ‘bliss’} >>> so ‘அன்பினில் விளையும் இன்பமே’ (aṉbiṉil viḷaiyum iṉbamē) means ‘O happiness produced in love’ <<< அன்பர் (aṉbar): devotees, of devotees {plural and honorific singular form of aṉbaṉ, ‘devotee’ or ‘one who loves’, used here in a genitive (sixth case) sense} | அகத்தினில் (ahattiṉil): in the heart {locative (seventh case) form of aham, ‘inside’, ‘heart’ or ‘mind’} | ஊறும் (ūṟum): welling up, which wells up {future (but used generically as a continuous present) adjectival participle of ūṟu, ‘spring’, ‘flow’, ‘well up’, ‘soak’, ‘accumulate’, ‘spread’ or ‘increase’} | ஆர் (ār): satiating {root of this verb, meaning ‘become full’, ‘pervade’, ‘be satisfied’, ‘abide’, ‘stay’ or ‘endure’, used here in the sense of an adjectival participle} | அமுதே (amudē): ambrosia, O ambrosia {vocative (eighth case) form of amudu, Tamil form of the Sanskrit amṛta, ‘ambrosia’ or ‘nectar of immortality’} >>> so ‘அன்பர் அகத்தினில் ஊறும் ஆர் அமுதே’ (aṉbar ahattiṉil ūṟum ār amudē) means ‘O satiating ambrosia welling up in the heart of devotees’ <<< என் (eṉ): what {interrogative pronoun} | புகலிட (puhaliḍa): to say {infinitive of puhal, ‘say’} >>> so ‘என் புகலிட?’ (eṉ puhaliḍa?) means ‘what to say?’, and hence this second sentence, ‘அன்பினில் விளையும் இன்பமே, அன்பர் அகத்தினில் ஊறும் ஆர் அமுதே, என் புகலிட?’ (aṉbiṉil viḷaiyum iṉbamē, aṉbar ahattiṉil ūṟum ār amudē, eṉ puhaliḍa?), means ‘O happiness produced in love, O satiating ambrosia welling up in the heart of devotees, what to say?’, which implies:

O happiness produced [born, grown or ripened] in love, O satiating [pervading or enduring] ambrosia welling up in the heart of devotees, what to say?

<<< நின் (niṉ): your {inflectional base and genitive (sixth case) form of the second person singular pronoun} | இட்டம் (iṭṭam): wish, will {Tamil form of the Sanskrit iṣṭa, ‘wish’, ‘liking’, ‘desire’ or ‘will’} | என் (eṉ): my {inflectional base and genitive (sixth case) form of the first person singular pronoun} | இட்டம் (iṭṭam): wish, will >>> so ‘நின் இட்டம் என் இட்டம்’ (niṉ iṭṭam eṉ iṭṭam) means ‘Your wish is my wish’, which implies:

Your iṣṭam [wish, liking, desire or will] is my iṣṭam;

<<< இன்பு (iṉbu): happiness, joy, bliss | அது (adu): that {singular distal demonstrative pronoun} | எற்கு (eṯku): to me, for me {dative (fourth case) form of the first person singular pronoun} | என் (eṉ): my {inflectional base and genitive (sixth case) form of the first person singular pronoun} | உயிர் (uyir): life, soul | இறையே (iṟaiyē): Lord, O Lord {vocative (eighth case) form of iṟai, ‘Lord’, ’God’ or ‘Supreme’} >>> so ‘இன்பு அது எற்கு, என் உயிர் இறையே’ (iṉbu adu eṯku, eṉ uyir iṟaiyē) means:

that is happiness for me, Lord of my soul [or life].

Explanations and discussions:
2022-11-25: True prayer is not asking God for this or that, but only surrendering our own will entirely, knowing that his will alone is what is truly good for us, as Bhagavan implies in this verse by singing ‘Your iṣṭam [wish, liking, desire or will] is my iṣṭam; that is happiness for me’
2022-11-25: Since Arunachala alone is what actually exists, he is what we actually are, so he does not know us as anything other than himself, and hence he loves us as himself; infinite love is therefore his very nature, so he and his love are one, as Bhagavan implies in this verse by describing him as ‘அன்புரு’ (aṉburu), ‘the form of love’ (aṉbu-uru)
2019-08-14: Whatever happens or does not happen in our life is according to the will of Bhagavan for our own good, so we need to cultivate an attitude of surrender to his will, ‘Your will is my will; that is happiness for me’, because then only will we be at peace
2018-09-01: The practice of self-surrender is this: as much as possible we direct our will and attention back within, towards ourself alone, and even when we allow them to go outwards we try to face the outside world with the attitude ‘Thy will be done’, ‘Not my will, but only yours’, ‘Your wish is my wish; that is happiness for me’ ‘Whatever be [your] thought [intention or wish], do that; just give [me] only a flood [surge, increase, overflow or abundance] of love for your pair of feet’ (Śrī Aruṇācala Navamaṇimālai verse 7)
2015-01-01: As ātma-svarūpa, which is what he actually is, Bhagavan has absolutely no will, volition or desire other than just to be as he is, but so long as we rise as ego, he seems to us to be something other than ourself, and in our view he has a role as God or guru, so as such he does have a will, the basic form of which is just his wish or love for us to be as we really are, and this fundamental ‘desire’ or will of his is what is called ‘grace’, which is the natural love that we as we really are have for ourself as we really are, and which is therefore the power that is constantly working within us to draw us back to what we really are, and hence it is correct for us to consider that God or guru does have such a divine will, as he clearly confirms in this verse by singing ‘Your iṣṭam [wish, liking, desire or will] is my iṣṭam; that is happiness for me’

Verse 3:

இறையுனை நினையு மெண்ணமே நண்ணா
      வெனையுன தருட்கயிற் றாலீர்த்
திறையுயி ரின்றிக் கொன்றிட நின்றா
      யென்குறை யியற்றின னேழை
யிறையினிக் குறையென் குற்றுயி ராக்கி
      யெனைவதைத் திடலெதற் கிங்ங
னிறைவனா மருணா சலவெண முடித்தே
      யேகனா வாழிநீ டூழி.

iṟaiyuṉai niṉaiyu meṇṇamē naṇṇā
      veṉaiyuṉa daruṭkayiṯ ṟālīrt
tiṟaiyuyi riṉḏṟik koṉḏṟiḍa niṉḏṟā
      yeṉkuṟai yiyaṯṟiṉa ṉēṙai
yiṟaiyiṉik kuṟaiyeṉ kuṯṟuyi rākki
      yeṉaivadait tiḍaledaṯ kiṅṅa
ṉiṟaivaṉā maruṇā calaveṇa muḍittē
      yēkaṉā vāṙinī ḍūṙi.

பதச்சேதம்: இறை உனை நினையும் எண்ணமே நண்ணா எனை உனது அருள் கயிற்றால் ஈர்த்து, இறை உயிர் இன்றி கொன்றிட நின்றாய். என் குறை இயற்றினன் ஏழை? இறை இனி குறை என்? குற்று உயிர் ஆக்கி எனை வதைத்திடல் எதற்கு இங்ஙன்? இறைவன் ஆம் அருணாசல, எணம் முடித்தே, ஏகன் ஆ வாழி நீடு ஊழி.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): iṟai uṉai niṉaiyum eṇṇamē naṇṇā eṉai uṉadu aruḷ-kayiṯṟāl īrttu, iṟai uyir iṉḏṟi koṉḏṟiḍa niṉḏṟāy. eṉ kuṟai iyaṯṟiṉaṉ ēṙai? iṟai iṉi kuṟai eṉ? kuṯṟu uyir ākki eṉai vadaittiḍal edaṯku iṅṅaṉ? iṟaivaṉ ām aruṇācala, eṇam muḍittē, ēkaṉ ā vāṙi nīḍu ūṙi.

English translation: By the rope of your grace, pulling me, who did not come close to an intention to think of you, the Lord, you stood to kill completely without an iota of life. What wrong did I, ignorant fool, do? What little obstacle now? Thoroughly tormenting me in this way, making half alive, is for what? Arunachala, who are God, fulfilling your intention, may [you] flourish as the one for all eternity.

Explanatory paraphrase: By the rope of your grace, pulling [attracting, dragging or carrying away] me, who did not come close [or adhere] to an intention to think of you, the Lord, you stood [determined] to kill [me] completely without [leaving even] an iota of life [or without God and soul (implying without leaving any distinction between God and soul)]. What wrong did I, [this] ignorant fool, do [to you]? What little obstacle now [prevents you fulfilling your intention to kill me]? For what [reason or purpose] [are you] thoroughly tormenting me in this way, making [me] half alive [stranded between life and death]? Arunachala, who are [the all-pervading yet all-transcending] God, fulfilling your intention [to annihilate me completely], may [you] flourish as the [only] one [the one who alone exists] for all eternity.

Padavurai (word-explanation): இறை (iṟai): head, chief, superior, monarch, sovereign, supreme, Lord, God {from the verb iṟa, ‘go beyond’, ‘transcend’, ‘pass over’, ‘surpass’, ‘excel’ or ‘be pre-eminent’} | உனை (uṉai): you {poetic abbreviation of uṉṉai, accusative (second case) form of the second person singular pronoun} | நினையும் (niṉaiyum): thinking of, which thinks of, to think of {future (but used generically as a continuous present) adjectival participle} | எண்ணமே (eṇṇamē): intention {intensified form of eṇṇam, ‘thought’, ‘idea’ or ‘intention’; so ‘uṉai niṉaiyum eṇṇamē’ means ‘you thinking intention’, thereby implying ‘intention to think of you’} | நண்ணா (naṇṇā): not coming close, who did not come close {negative adjectival participle of naṇṇu, ‘approach’, ‘draw near’, ‘come close’, ‘reach’, ‘be attached to’, ‘adhere to’ or ‘be united with’} >>> so ‘இறை உனை நினையும் எண்ணமே நண்ணா’ (iṟai uṉai niṉaiyum eṇṇamē naṇṇā) is a relative clause that means ‘who did not come close [or adhere] to an intention to think of you, the Lord’ <<< எனை (eṉai): me {poetic abbreviation of eṉṉai, accusative (second case) form of the first person singular pronoun} | உனது (uṉadu): your {genitive (sixth case) form of the second person singular pronoun} | அருட்கயிற்றால் (aruṭkayiṯṟāl): by the grace-rope, by the rope of grace {compound of aruḷ, ‘grace’, ‘love’, ‘kindness’, ‘compassion’ or ‘benevolence’, and kayiṯṟāl, ‘by the rope’ [instrumental (third case) form of kayiṟu, ‘rope’, ‘cord’ or ‘string’]} | ஈர்த்து (īrttu): drawing, dragging, pulling, attracting, carrying away {adverbial participle} >>> so ‘எனை உனது அருள் கயிற்றால் ஈர்த்து’ (eṉai uṉadu aruḷ-kayiṯṟāl īrttu) is an adverbial clause that means ‘pulling me by the rope of your grace’ <<< இறை (iṟai): (1) iota; (2) God {though iṟai from the verb iṟa, ‘transcend’, means ‘God’, iṟai from the verb iṟu, ‘break off’, means ‘atom’, ‘iota’, ‘minute quantity’ or ‘little’} | உயிர் (uyir): life, soul | இன்றி (iṉḏṟi): without >>> so ‘இறை உயிர் இன்றி’ (iṟai uyir iṉḏṟi) means either ‘without an iota of life’, thereby implying ‘without [leaving even] an iota of life’, or ‘without God and soul’, thereby implying ‘without [leaving any distinction between] God and soul’ <<< கொன்றிட (koṉḏṟiḍa): to kill completely {infinitive of koṉḏṟiḍu, a compound of koṉḏṟu (adverbial participle of kol, ‘kill’, ‘destroy’ or ‘cut down’) and iḍu (an auxiliary verb that intensifies the meaning of whatever verb it is appended to, and which therefore in this context implies ‘completely’)} | நின்றாய் (niṉḏṟāy): you stood {second person singular past tense form of nil, ‘stand’, ‘stop’, ‘stay’, ‘remain’, ‘endure’, ‘continue’, ‘persevere’ or ‘cease’} >>> so this main clause, ‘இறை உயிர் இன்றி கொன்றிட நின்றாய்’ (iṟai uyir iṉḏṟi koṉḏṟiḍa niṉḏṟāy), means ‘you stood [determined] to kill [me] without [leaving even] an iota of life’ or ‘you stood [determined] to kill [me] without [leaving any distinction between] God and soul’, and hence this first sentence, ‘இறை உனை நினையும் எண்ணமே நண்ணா எனை உனது அருள் கயிற்றால் ஈர்த்து, இறை உயிர் இன்றி கொன்றிட நின்றாய்’ (iṟai uṉai niṉaiyum eṇṇamē naṇṇā eṉai uṉadu aruḷ kayiṯṟāl īrttu, iṟai uyir iṉḏṟi koṉḏṟiḍa niṉḏṟāy), means ‘By the rope of your grace, pulling me, who did not come close to an intention to think of you, the Lord, you stood to kill completely without an iota of life [or without God and soul]’, which implies:

By the rope of your grace, pulling [attracting, dragging or carrying away] me, who did not come close [or adhere] to an intention to think of you, the Lord, you stood [determined] to kill [me] completely without [leaving even] an iota of life [or without God and soul (implying without leaving any distinction between God and soul)].

<<< என் (eṉ): what {interrogative pronoun} | குறை (kuṟai): deficiency, imperfection, want, fault, defect, flaw, dissatisfaction, grievance, wrong, obstacle | இயற்றினன் (iyaṯṟiṉaṉ): I did {literary variant of iyaṯṟiṉēṉ, first person singular past tense form of iyaṯṟu, ‘do’, ‘make’, ‘perform’ or ‘effect’} | ஏழை (ēṙai): fool, ignorant fellow, simpleton, poor wretch, helpless fellow >>> so this second sentence, ‘என் குறை இயற்றினன் ஏழை?’ (eṉ kuṟai iyaṯṟiṉaṉ ēṙai?), is a question that means ‘What wrong did I, ignorant fool, do?’, which implies:

What wrong did I, [this] ignorant fool, do [to you]?

<<< இறை (iṟai): atom, iota, minute, tiny, little | இனி (iṉi): now, henceforth | குறை (kuṟai): deficiency, imperfection, defect, flaw, obstacle | என் (eṉ): what {interrogative pronoun} >>> so this third sentence, ‘இறை இனி குறை என்?’ (iṟai iṉi kuṟai eṉ?), is a question that means ‘What little obstacle now?’, which implies:

What little obstacle now [prevents you fulfilling your intention to kill me]?

<<< குற்றுயிர் (kuṯṟuyir): diminished life, partially alive, half alive [stranded between life and death] {compound of kuṯṟu, ‘short’, ‘diminished’, ‘shrunken’ or ‘defective’ (from kuṟumai, ‘shortness’, ‘dwarfishness’ or ‘defectiveness’), and uyir, ‘life’} | ஆக்கி (ākki): making, causing to be {adverbial participle} | எனை (eṉai): me {poetic abbreviation of eṉṉai, accusative (second case) form of the first person singular pronoun} | வதைத்திடல் (vadaittiḍal): thoroughly tormenting {verbal noun, compound of vadaittu, an adverbial participle that means ‘killing’, ‘tormenting’ or ‘causing [bodily or mental] distress’, and iḍal, a verbal noun formed from iḍu, an auxiliary verb that intensifies the meaning of whatever verb it is appended to, and which therefore in this context implies ‘thoroughly’} | எதற்கு (edaṯku): for what {dative (fourth case) form of the interrogative pronoun edu, ‘what’} | இங்ஙன் (iṅṅaṉ): thus, in this manner, in this way >>> so this fourth sentence, ‘குற்றுயிர் ஆக்கி எனை வதைத்திடல் எதற்கு இங்ஙன்?’ (kuṯṟuyir ākki eṉai vadaittiḍal edaṯku iṅṅaṉ?), is a question that means ‘Thoroughly tormenting me in this way, making half alive, is for what?’, which implies:

For what [reason or purpose] [are you] thoroughly tormenting me in this way, making [me] half alive [stranded between life and death]?

<<< இறைவன் (iṟaivaṉ): God {derived both from iṟu, ‘stay’, ‘abide’ or ‘pierce through’, and from iṟai, ‘head’, ‘chief’, ‘superior’, ‘supreme’, ‘Lord’ or ‘God’ (which is derived from the verb iṟa, ‘go beyond’, ‘transcend’, ‘surpass’ or ‘be pre-eminent’), so iṟaivaṉ implies that God abides in all (being omnipresent or all-pervading) yet transcends all (being infinite and therefore unlimited by and independent of all finite things), or in other words, that he is both immanent and transcendent} | ஆம் (ām): being, who are {future (but used generically as a continuous present) adjectival participle} | அருணாசல (aruṇācala): Arunachala {vocative (eighth case) form of aruṇācalaṉ, personal (masculine) form of aruṇācalam, Tamil form of the Sanskrit aruṇācala} | எணம் (eṇam): intention {poetic abbreviation of eṇṇam, ‘thought’, ‘idea’ or ‘intention’} | முடித்தே (muḍittē): fulfilling {an intensified form of muḍittu, an adverbial participle that means ‘ending’, ‘concluding’, ‘accomplishing’ or ‘fulfilling’} | ஏகன் (ēkaṉ): the one, he who is one {personal (masculine) form of ēka, a Sanskrit word that means ‘one’, here implying ‘he who is the only one’, the ‘one only without a second’ (ēkam ēva advitīyam)} | ஆ (ā): being, as {root of this verb, meaning ‘be’, used here as an adverbial suffix} | வாழி (vāṙi): may [you] be, may [you] flourish {optative form of vāṙ, ‘be’, ‘exist’, ‘live’, ‘flourish’, ‘prosper’ or ‘be happy’} | நீடூழி (nīḍūṙi): long aeons, all eternity {compound of nīḍu, ‘long time’, ‘permanence’ or ‘eternity’, and ūṙi, ‘yuga’, ‘aeon’ or ‘long time’} >>> so this final sentence, ‘இறைவன் ஆம் அருணாசல, எணம் முடித்தே, ஏகன் ஆ வாழி நீடு ஊழி’ (iṟaivaṉ ām aruṇācala, eṇam muḍittē, ēkaṉ ā vāṙi nīḍu ūṙi), means ‘Arunachala, who are God, fulfilling your intention, may [you] flourish as the one for all eternity’, which implies:

Arunachala, who are [the all-pervading yet all-transcending] God, fulfilling your intention [to annihilate me completely], may [you] flourish as the [only] one [the one who alone exists] for all eternity.

Verse 4:

ஊழியில் வாழு மாக்களி லென்பா
      லூதியம் யாதுநீ பெற்றாய்
பாழினில் வீழா தேழையைக் காத்துன்
      பதத்தினி லிருத்திவைத் தனையே
யாழியாங் கருணை யண்ணலே யெண்ண
      வகமிக நாணநண் ணிடுமால்
வாழிநீ யருணா சலவுனை வழுத்தி
      வாழ்த்திடத் தாழ்த்துமென் றலையே.

ūṙiyil vāṙu mākkaḷi leṉbā
      lūdiyam yādunī peṯṟāy
pāṙiṉil vīṙā dēṙaiyaik kāttuṉ
      padattiṉi liruttivait taṉaiyē
yāṙiyāṅ karuṇai yaṇṇalē yeṇṇa
      vahamiga nāṇanaṇ ṇiḍumāl
vāṙinī yaruṇā calavuṉai vaṙutti
      vāṙttiḍat tāṙttumeṉ ḏṟalaiyē.

பதச்சேதம்: ஊழியில் வாழும் மாக்களில் என்பால் ஊதியம் யாது நீ பெற்றாய்? பாழினில் வீழாது ஏழையை காத்து உன் பதத்தினில் இருத்தி வைத்தனையே. ஆழி ஆம் கருணை அண்ணலே, எண்ண அகம் மிக நாணம் நண்ணிடும் ஆல். வாழி நீ அருணாசல. உனை வழுத்தி வாழ்த்திட தாழ்த்தும் என் தலையே.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): ūṙiyil vāṙum mākkaḷil eṉbāl ūdiyam yādu nī peṯṟāy? pāṙiṉil vīṙādu ēṙaiyai kāttu uṉ padattiṉil irutti vaittaṉaiyē. āṙi ām karuṇai aṇṇalē, eṇṇa aham miha nāṇa naṇṇiḍum āl. vāṙi nī aruṇācala. uṉai vaṙutti vāṙttiḍa tāṙttum eṉ talaiyē.

English translation: Among the people living in the world, from me what benefit did you gain? Protecting the worthless wretch so as not to fall into desolation, fixing permanently at your feet, you kept. Lord, who are the ocean of grace, when I think, shame overwhelms excessively. Arunachala, may you flourish. To praise and adore you, my head bows low.

Explanatory paraphrase: [By choosing to save me from] among [all] the people living in the world, from me what benefit did you gain? Protecting [this] worthless wretch [or ignorant fool] so that [I do] not fall into desolation [the desolation of saṁsāra (embodied existence), becoming ensnared in the delusive attractions of this illusory world], fixing [me] permanently at your feet [or in your state], you kept [me thus, safe in this state of eternal bliss]. Lord, who are the ocean of grace, when I think [of your immense grace], shame [shyness or awe] overwhelms [me] excessively. Arunachala, may you flourish [or be glorious]. To praise and adore you, my head bows low.

Padavurai (word-explanation): ஊழியில் (ūṙiyil): in the world {locative (seventh case) form of ūṙi, the primary meaning of which is ‘yuga’, ‘aeon’ or ‘long time’ (as at the end of the previous verse), and secondary meaning of which is ‘world’ (as here), being derived from the verb ūṙ, ‘grow old’, ‘decay’ or ‘perish’, so the world is called ūṙi both because it is ancient and because it is subject to decay} | வாழும் (vāṙum): living, who live {future (but used generically as a continuous present) adjectival participle} | மாக்களில் (mākkaḷil): among people {locative (seventh case) form of mākkaḷ, ‘people’} | என்பால் (eṉbāl): from me {ablative (fifth case) [or more usually locative (seventh case)] form of the first person singular pronoun} | ஊதியம் (ūdiyam): profit, gain, benefit, advantage | யாது (yādu): what {interrogative pronoun} | நீ (nī): you {nominative (first case) form of the second person singular pronoun} | பெற்றாய் (peṯṟāy): [you] gained, did [you] gain {second person singular past tense form of peṟu, ‘get’, ‘obtain’ or ‘gain’} >>> so ‘ஊழியில் வாழும் மாக்களில் என்பால் ஊதியம் யாது நீ பெற்றாய்?’ (ūṙiyil vāṙum mākkaḷil eṉbāl ūdiyam yādu nī peṯṟāy?) means ‘Among the people living in the world, from me what benefit did you gain?’, which implies:

[By choosing to save me from] among [all] the people living in the world, from me what benefit did you gain?

<<< பாழினில் (pāṙiṉil): in desolation, into desolation {locative (seventh case) form of pāṙ, ‘desolation’, ‘devastation’, ‘ruin’, ‘emptiness’, ‘void’, ‘non-existence’, ‘nothingness’, ‘baseness’ or ‘evil’} | வீழாது (vīṙādu): not falling {negative adverbial participle of vīṙ, ‘fall’, ‘descend’, ‘decline’, ‘be destroyed’ or ‘die’, used here to express purpose: ‘so as not to fall’} | ஏழையை (ēṙaiyai): worthless wretch {accusative (second case) form of ēṙai, ‘fool’, ‘ignorant fellow’, ‘simpleton’, ‘poor wretch’ or ‘helpless fellow’} | காத்து (kāttu): protecting, safeguarding, preserving {adverbial participle} | உன் (uṉ): your {inflectional base and genitive (sixth case) form of the second person singular pronoun} | பதத்தினில் (padattiṉil): at [your] feet, in [your] state {locative (seventh case) form of padam, Tamil form of the Sanskrit pada, ‘foot’ or ‘state’} | இருத்தி (irutti): causing to be, causing to sit, detaining, fixing permanently {adverbial participle} | வைத்தனையே (vaittaṉaiyē): you kept {intensified second person singular past tense form of vai, ‘put’, ‘place’, ‘keep’, ‘store’ or ‘safeguard’} >>> so ‘பாழினில் வீழாது ஏழையை காத்து உன் பதத்தினில் இருத்தி வைத்தனையே’ (pāṙiṉil vīṙādu ēṙaiyai kāttu uṉ padattiṉil irutti vaittaṉaiyē) means ‘Protecting the worthless wretch so as not to fall into desolation, fixing permanently at your feet, you kept’, which implies:

Protecting [this] worthless wretch [or ignorant fool] so that [I do] not fall into desolation [the desolation of saṁsāra (embodied existence), becoming ensnared in the delusive attractions of this illusory world], fixing [me] permanently at your feet [or in your state], you kept [me thus, safe in this state of eternal bliss].

<<< ஆழி (āṙi): sea, ocean | ஆம் (ām): being, who are {future (but used generically as a continuous present) adjectival participle} | கருணை (karuṇai): grace {Tamil form of the Sanskrit karuṇā, ‘grace’, ‘compassion’, ‘kindness’, ‘tender-heartedness’, ‘pity’ or ‘mercy’} | அண்ணலே (aṇṇalē): Lord, O Lord {vocative (eighth case) form of aṇṇal, ‘greatness’, ‘exaltation’, ‘loftiness’, ‘great man’, ‘ruler’, ‘king’, ‘Supreme’, ‘Lord’, ’God’ or ‘guru’} | எண்ண (eṇṇa): to think, when thinking {infinitive of eṇṇu, ‘think’, ‘consider’ or ‘ponder’, used idiomatically to mean ‘when thinking’ or in this case ‘when [I] think’} | அகம் (aham): I {Sanskrit first person pronoun} | மிக (miha): excessively, greatly, abundantly, very much {infinitive of mihu, ‘exceed’, ‘surpass’, ‘grow’, ‘increase’, ‘swell’, ‘be great’ or ‘be excellent’, used as an adverb} | நாணம் (nāṇam): shame, shyness, bashfulness, shrinking, awe | நண்ணிடும் (naṇṇiḍum): overwhelms {future (but used generically as a continuous present) singular and plural third person neuter form of naṇṇu, ‘come close’, ‘approach’, ‘reach’, ‘be attached to’, ‘be united with’ or ‘adhere to’} | ஆல் (āl): {poetic expletive} >>> so ‘ஆழி ஆம் கருணை அண்ணலே, எண்ண அகம் மிக நாணம் நண்ணிடும் ஆல்’ (āṙi ām karuṇai aṇṇalē, eṇṇa aham miha nāṇam naṇṇiḍum āl) means ‘Lord, who are the ocean of grace, when I think, shame overwhelms excessively’, which implies:

Lord, who are the ocean of grace, when I think [of your immense grace], shame [shyness or awe] overwhelms [me] excessively.

<<< வாழி (vāṙi): may [you] flourish, may [you] be glorious {optative form of vāṙ, ‘be’, ‘exist’, ‘live’, ‘flourish’, ‘prosper’ or ‘be happy’} | நீ (nī): you {second person singular pronoun} | அருணாசல (aruṇācala): Arunachala {vocative (eighth case) form of aruṇācalaṉ, personal (masculine) form of aruṇācalam, Tamil form of the Sanskrit aruṇācala} >>> so ‘வாழி நீ அருணாசல’ (vāṙi nī aruṇācala) means:

Arunachala, may you flourish [or be glorious].

<<< உனை (uṉai): you {poetic abbreviation of uṉṉai, accusative (second case) form of the second person singular pronoun} | வழுத்தி (vaṙutti): praising, extolling {adverbial participle} | வாழ்த்திட (vāṙttiḍa): to praise, to glorify, to adore {infinitive} | தாழ்த்தும் (tāṙttum): is brought low, bows low {future (but used generically as a continuous present) singular and plural third person neuter form of tāṙttu, ‘bring down’, ‘lower’, ‘cause to be low’, ‘cause to decline’ or ‘cause to sink’} | என் (eṉ): my {inflectional base and genitive (sixth case) form of the first person singular pronoun} | தலையே (talaiyē): head {intensified form of talai, ‘head’} >>> so ‘உனை வழுத்தி வாழ்த்திட தாழ்த்தும் என் தலையே’ (uṉai vaṙutti vāṙttiḍa tāṙttum eṉ talaiyē) means:

To praise and adore you, my head bows low.

Verse 5:

தலைவநீ யென்னைக் களவினிற் கொணர்ந்துன்
      றாளிலிந் நாள்வரை வைத்தாய்
தலைவநின் றன்மை யென்னவென் பார்க்குத்
      தலைகுனி சிலையென வைத்தாய்
தலைவநான் வலைமான் றனைநிக ராதென்
      றளர்வினுக் கழிவுநா டிடுவாய்
தலைவனா மருணா சலவுள மேதோ
      தமியனார் தனையுணர் தற்கே.

talaivanī yeṉṉaik kaḷaviṉiṯ koṇarnduṉ
      ḏṟāḷilin nāḷvarai vaittāy
talaivaniṉ ṟaṉmai yeṉṉaveṉ bārkkut
      talaikuṉi silaiyeṉa vaittāy
talaivanāṉ valaimāṉ ḏṟaṉainiha rādeṉ
      ḏṟaḷarviṉuk kaṙivunā ḍiḍuvāy
talaivaṉā maruṇā calavuḷa mēdō
      tamiyaṉār taṉaiyuṇar daṯkē.

பதச்சேதம்: தலைவ நீ என்னை களவினில் கொணர்ந்து உன் தாளில் இந் நாள் வரை வைத்தாய். தலைவ நின் தன்மை என்ன என்பார்க்கு தலை குனி சிலை என வைத்தாய். தலைவ நான் வலை மான் தனை நிகராது என் தளர்வினுக்கு அழிவு நாடிடுவாய். தலைவன் ஆம் அருணாசல, உளம் ஏதோ தமியன் ஆர் தனை உணர்தற்கே?

Padacchēdam (word-separation): talaiva nī eṉṉai kaḷaviṉil koṇarndu uṉ tāḷil i-n-nāḷ-varai vaittāy. talaiva niṉ taṉmai eṉṉa eṉbārkku talai-kuṉi silai eṉa vaittāy. talaiva nāṉ valai-māṉ-taṉai niharādu eṉ taḷarviṉukku aṙivu nāḍiḍuvāy. talaivaṉ ām aruṇācala, uḷam ēdō tamiyaṉ ār taṉai uṇardaṯkē?

English translation: Lord, taking me in a clandestine manner, you kept at your feet till this day. Lord, to those who ask what your nature is, you kept head bent like a statue. Lord, so that I am not like a net-deer, may you seek out the destruction of my weariness. Arunachala, who are the Lord, whatever be the will, who is the destitute person to know it?

Explanatory paraphrase: Lord, taking me in a clandestine manner [secretly and stealthily, unknown to anyone else], you kept [me] at your feet till this day. Lord, to those who ask what your nature is, you kept [me] head bent like a statue [either because your nature is ineffable, being beyond the reach of thought or words, or because you have not yet revealed to me what you actually are]. Lord, so that I am not like a net-deer [a deer trapped in a net], may you seek out [and achieve] the destruction of my weariness [or suffering]. Arunachala, who are the Lord [God or guru], whatever be [your] will [or intention], who is [this] destitute person to know [or understand] it?

Padavurai (word-explanation): தலைவ (talaiva): Lord, O Lord {vocative (eighth case) form of talaivaṉ, ‘headman’, ‘chief’, ‘lord’, ‘great man’, ‘hero’, ‘ruler’, ‘king’, ‘God’ or ‘guru’}| நீ (nī): you {second person singular pronoun} | என்னை (eṉṉai): me {accusative (second case) form of the first person singular pronoun} | களவினில் (kaḷaviṉil): in a clandestine manner, in secret {locative (seventh case) form of kaḷavu, ‘theft’, ‘robbery’, ‘stealth’, ‘deceit’ or ‘clandestine union of lovers’} | கொணர்ந்து (koṇarndu): bringing {adverbial participle of koṇā, ‘bring’, ‘take’ or ‘fetch’} | உன் (uṉ): your {inflectional base and genitive (sixth case) form of the second person singular pronoun} | தாளில் (tāḷil): at [your] feet {locative (seventh case) form of tāḷ, ‘foot’} | இந்நாள்வரை (i-n-nāḷ-varai): till this day {compound of the proximal demonstrative prefix i, ‘this’, nāḷ, ‘day’ or ‘time’, and varai, ‘limit’, ‘extent’, ‘measure’, ‘time’ or ‘place’} | வைத்தாய் (vaittāy): [you] kept {second person singular past tense form of vai, ‘put’, ‘place’, ‘keep’, ‘store’ or ‘safeguard’} >>> so ‘தலைவ, நீ என்னை களவினில் கொணர்ந்து, உன் தாளில் இந் நாள் வரை வைத்தாய்’ (talaiva, nī eṉṉai kaḷaviṉil koṇarndu, uṉ tāḷil i-n-nāḷ-varai vaittāy) means ‘Lord, taking me in a clandestine manner, you kept at your feet till this day’, which implies:

Lord, taking me in a clandestine manner [secretly and stealthily, unknown to anyone else], you kept [me] at your feet till this day.

<<< தலைவ (talaiva): Lord, O Lord {vocative (eighth case) form of talaivaṉ, ‘Lord’, ‘God’ or ‘guru’} | நின் (niṉ): your {inflectional base and genitive (sixth case) form of the second person singular pronoun} | தன்மை (taṉmai): selfness, nature, essence, reality, greatness, beauty | என்ன (eṉṉa): what {interrogative pronoun} | என்பார்க்கு (eṉbārkku): to those who ask {dative (fourth case) form of eṉbār, ‘those who say’ or ‘those who ask’} | தலைகுனி (talai-kuṉi): head bent {compound of talai, ‘head’, and kuṉi (root of this verb used in the sense of an adjectival participle), ‘bent’, ‘bowed’, ‘stooped’ or ‘curved’} | சிலை (silai): stone, rock, statue {Tamil form of the Sanskrit śilā, ‘stone’ or ‘rock’} | என (eṉa): like {particle of comparison} | வைத்தாய் (vaittāy): you kept {second person singular past tense form of vai, ‘put’, ‘place’ or ‘keep’} >>> so ‘தலைவ, நின் தன்மை என்ன என்பார்க்கு தலை குனி சிலை என வைத்தாய்’ (talaiva, niṉ taṉmai eṉṉa eṉbārkku talai-kuṉi silai eṉa vaittāy) means:

Lord, to those who ask what your nature is, you kept [me] head bent like a statue.

<<< தலைவ (talaiva): Lord, O Lord {vocative (eighth case) form of talaivaṉ, ‘Lord’, ‘God’ or ‘guru’} | நான் (nāṉ): I {first person singular pronoun} | வலைமான்றனை (valai-māṉḏṟaṉai): net-deer, deer trapped in a net {compound of valai, ‘net’ or ‘trap’, māṉ, ‘deer’, and taṉai, poetic abbreviation of taṉṉai, accusative (second case) form of the generic pronoun tāṉ, used here as a case-marking suffix} | நிகராது (niharādu): not being like {negative adverbial participle of nihar, ‘be like’ or ‘resemble’, used here to express purpose: ‘so as not to be like’ or ‘so that [I] am not like’} | என் (eṉ): my {inflectional base and genitive (sixth case) form of the first person singular pronoun} | தளர்வினுக்கு (taḷarviṉukku): to weariness, for weariness {dative (fourth case) form of taḷarvu, ‘weariness’, ‘weakness’, ‘faintness’, ‘depression’ or ‘sorrow’, but used here in a context in which in English it is more natural to say ‘of weariness’ rather than ‘to weariness’ or ‘for weariness’} | அழிவு (aṙivu): destruction | நாடிடுவாய் (nāḍiḍuvāy): you will seek out, may you seek out {second person singular future form of nāḍu, ‘seek out’, ‘pursue’, ‘desire earnestly’, ‘approach’, ‘reach’ or ‘know’ (realise or achieve), but used here in an optative sense, ‘may you seek out [and achieve]’} >>> so ‘தலைவ, நான் வலை மான் தனை நிகராது, என் தளர்வினுக்கு அழிவு நாடிடுவாய்’ (talaiva, nāṉ valai-māṉ-taṉai niharādu, eṉ taḷarviṉukku aṙivu nāḍiḍuvāy) means ‘Lord, so that I am not like a net-deer, may you seek out the destruction of my weariness’, which implies:

Lord, so that I am not like a net-deer [a deer trapped in a net], may you seek out [and achieve] the destruction of my weariness [or suffering].

<<< தலைவன் (talaivaṉ): Lord, God, guru | ஆம் (ām): being, who are {future (but used generically as a continuous present) adjectival participle} | அருணாசல (aruṇācala): Arunachala {vocative (eighth case) form of aruṇācalaṉ, personal (masculine) form of aruṇācalam, Tamil form of the Sanskrit aruṇācala} | உளம் (uḷam): will {poetic abbreviation of uḷḷam, ‘heart’, ‘mind’, ‘thought’, ‘intention’, ‘purpose’ or ‘will’} | ஏதோ (ēdō): whatever {ēdu is an interrogative pronoun meaning ‘what’, and when the suffix ō is added to it, it implies ‘whatever’} | தமியன் (tamiyaṉ): solitary person, lonely person, destitute person {personal (masculine) noun derived from tami, ‘solitude’, ‘loneliness’, ‘inequality’, ‘destitution’ or ‘helplessness’} | ஆர் (ār): who {interrogative pronoun} | தனை (taṉai): it {poetic abbreviation of taṉṉai, accusative (second case) form of the generic pronoun tāṉ, which in this context means ‘it’ referring to uḷam, ‘[your] will’} | உணர்தற்கே (uṇardaṯkē): for knowing, for understanding {intensified dative (fourth case) form of the verbal noun uṇardal, ‘knowing’ or ‘understanding’, used here in the sense of the English infinitive ‘to know’ or ‘to understand’} >>> so ‘தலைவன் ஆம் அருணாசல, உளம் ஏதோ, தமியன் ஆர் தனை உணர்தற்கே?’ (talaivaṉ ām aruṇācala, uḷam ēdō tamiyaṉ ār taṉai uṇardaṯkē?) means ‘Arunachala, who are the Lord, whatever be the will, who is the destitute person to know it?’, which implies:

Arunachala, who are the Lord [God or guru], whatever be [your] will [or intention], who is [this] destitute person to know [or understand] it?

Verse 6:

தற்பர நாளுந் தாளினிற் றங்கித்
      தண்டலர் மண்டுக மானேன்
சிற்பத நற்றே னுண்மல ரளியாச்
      செய்திடி லுய்தியுண் டுன்ற
னற்பதப் போதி னானுயிர் விட்டா
      னட்டதூ ணாகுமுன் பழியே
வெற்புரு வருண விரிகதி ரொளியே
      விண்ணினு நுண்ணருள் வெளியே.

taṯpara nāḷun tāḷiṉiṯ ṟaṅgit
      taṇḍalar maṇḍuka māṉēṉ
ciṯpada naṯṟē ṉuṇmala raḷiyāc
      ceydiḍi laydiyuṇ ḍuṉḏṟa
ṉaṯpadap pōdi ṉāṉuyir viṭṭā
      ṉaṭṭatū ṇākumuṉ paṙiyē
veṯpuru varuṇa virikadi roḷiyē
      viṇṇiṉu nuṇṇaruḷ veḷiyē.

பதச்சேதம்: தற்பர, நாளும் தாளினில் தங்கி, தண்டு அலர் மண்டுகம் ஆனேன். சித் பத நல் தேன் உண் மலர் அளியா செய்திடில், உய்தி உண்டு. உன்றன் நல் பத போதில் நான் உயிர் விட்டால், நட்ட தூண் ஆகும் உன் பழியே. வெற்பு உரு அருண விரி கதிர் ஒளியே. விண்ணினும் நுண் அருள் வெளியே.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): taṯpara nāḷum tāḷiṉil taṅgi, taṇḍu-alar-maṇḍukam āṉēṉ. cit-pada-nal-tēṉ uṇ malar-aḷiyā seydiḍil, uydi uṇḍu. uṉḏṟaṉ nal pada pōdil nāṉ uyir viṭṭāl, naṭṭa tūṇ āhum uṉ paṙiyē. veṯpu-uru-v-aruṇa-viri-kadir-oḷiyē. viṇṇiṉum nuṇ aruḷ-veḷiyē.

English translation: Ultimate reality, always staying at the feet, I have been a frog on the stem of a lotus. If making be a flower-bee drinking the fine honey of the state of awareness, there will be salvation. If I leave life at the flower of your divine feet, your shame will be a standing column. Light of dawn-red spreading rays in the form of a hill. Space of grace subtler than space.

Explanatory paraphrase: Tat-para [ultimate reality], [in spite of] always staying at [your] feet, I have been [like] a frog [clinging to] the stem of a lotus. If [you] make [me] be a flower-bee drinking the fine honey of [your] state of [pure] awareness, there will be salvation [or cessation] [for me]. If I leave [this] life [while still remaining like a frog] at the flower of your divine feet, it will be a standing column of shame for you. Light of dawn-red spreading rays in the form of a hill. Space of grace subtler than [either physical or mental] space.

Padavurai (word-explanation): தற்பர (taṯpara): ultimate reality, Supreme Being {vocative (eighth case) form of taṯparaṉ, ‘he who is the ultimate reality’, personal (masculine) form of taṯparam, ‘the ultimate reality’, Tamil form of the Sanskrit tatpara, compound of tat, ‘that’ (referring to brahman), and para, ‘beyond’, ‘transcending’, ‘higher’ or in this case ‘supreme’ or ‘ultimate’} | நாளும் (nāḷum): every day, always {nāḷ means ‘day’ or ‘time’, and the suffix um here implies completeness, wholeness, totality or entirety} | தாளினில் (tāḷiṉil): at [your] feet {locative (seventh case) form of tāḷ, ‘foot’} | தங்கி (taṅgi): staying, remaining, being, being fixed {adverbial participle} | தண்டலர்மண்டுகம் (taṇḍalar-maṇḍukam): stem-lotus-frog, frog on the stem of a lotus {compound of taṇḍu (Tamil form of the Sanskrit daṇḍa), ‘stem’, ‘stalk’ or ‘stick’; alar, ‘blossom’ or ‘flower in full bloom’ (here implying a lotus); and maṇḍukam (poetic shortening of maṇḍūkam, Tamil form of the Sanskrit maṇḍūka), ‘frog’} | ஆனேன் (āṉēṉ): I was, I have been (first person singular past tense form of ā, ‘be’) >>> so ‘தற்பர, நாளும் தாளினில் தங்கி, தண்டு அலர் மண்டுகம் ஆனேன்’ (taṯpara nāḷum tāḷiṉil taṅgi, taṇḍu-alar-maṇḍukam āṉēṉ) means ‘Ultimate reality, always staying at the feet, I have been a frog on the stem of a lotus’, which implies:

Tat-para [ultimate reality], [though] always staying at [your] feet, I have been [like] a frog [clinging to] the stem of a lotus.

<<< சிற்பதநற்றேன் (ciṯpada-naṯṟēṉ): awareness-state-fine-honey, the fine honey of the state of awareness {compound of cit, ‘awareness’ (in the sense of pure awareness); padam (Tamil form of the Sanskrit pada), ‘state’; nal, ‘good’, ‘fine’ or ‘excellent’; and tēṉ, ‘honey’} | உண் (uṇ): consuming, drinking, enjoying {root of this verb used in the sense of an adjectival participle} | மலரளியா (malar-aḷiyā): be a flower-bee {compound of malar, ‘blossom’ or ‘flower in full bloom’; aḷi, ‘bee’; and the adverbial suffix ā, ‘be’, ‘as’ or ‘like’} | செய்திடில் (seydiḍil): if doing, if making {conditional form of sey, ‘do’ or ‘make’} | உய்தி (uydi): salvation, liberation, cessation | உண்டு (uṇḍu): there is, there will be {tenseless finite verb denoting being or existence, used for all genders, persons and numbers} >>> so ‘சித் பத நல் தேன் உண் மலர் அளியா செய்திடில், உய்தி உண்டு’ (cit-pada-nal-tēṉ uṇ malar-aḷiyā seydiḍil, uydi uṇḍu) means ‘If making be a flower-bee drinking the fine honey of the state of awareness, there will be salvation’, which implies:

If [you] make [me] be a flower-bee drinking the fine honey of [your] state of [pure] awareness, there will be salvation [or cessation] [for me].

<<< உன்றன் (uṉḏṟaṉ): your {alternative form of uṉ [inflectional base and genitive (sixth case) form of the second person singular pronoun], formed by adding the case-marking suffix taṉ [inflectional base and genitive (sixth case) form of the generic pronoun tāṉ]} | நற்பதப்போதில் (naṯpada-p-pōdil): at divine feet-flower, at the flower of [your] divine feet {compound of nal, ‘good’, ‘fine’ or ‘excellent’ (here implying ‘divine’); padam (Tamil form of the Sanskrit pada), ‘feet’; and pōdil, ‘at the flower’ [locative (seventh case) form of pōdu, ‘flower’]} | நான் (nāṉ): I {first person singular pronoun} | உயிர் (uyir): life | விட்டால் (viṭṭāl): if leaving, if [I] leave {conditional form of viḍu, ‘leave’, ‘separate from’ or ‘let go’} | நட்ட (naṭṭa): planted, erected, set up, fixed, established {past adjectival participle, but used here in a context in which in English it is more natural to say ‘standing’ rather than ‘erected’} | தூண் (tūṇ): pillar, post, column {Tamil form of the Sanskrit sthūṇā} | ஆகும் (āhum): [it] will be {third person singular future form of āhu, ‘be’} | உன் (uṉ): your {inflectional base and genitive (sixth case) form of the second person singular pronoun} | பழியே (paṙiyē): shame {intensified form of paṙi, ‘blame’, ‘shame’, ‘ridicule’ or ‘ignominy’} >>> so ‘உன்றன் நல் பத போதில் நான் உயிர் விட்டால், நட்ட தூண் ஆகும் உன் பழியே’ (uṉḏṟaṉ nal pada pōdil nāṉ uyir viṭṭāl, naṭṭa tūṇ āhum uṉ paṙiyē) means ‘If I leave life at the flower of your divine feet, your shame will be a standing column’, which implies:

If I leave [this] life [while still remaining like a frog] at the flower of your divine feet, it will be a standing column of shame for you.

<<< வெற்புருவருணவிரிகதிரொளியே (veṯpuru-v-aruṇa-viri-kadir-oḷiyē): hill-form-red-spreading-rays-light, light of red spreading rays in the form of a hill {compound of veṯpu, ‘hill’ or ‘mountain’; uru, ‘form’; aruṇam (Tamil form of the Sanskrit aruṇa), ‘red’, ‘dawn-red’ (the red colour of dawn), ‘dawn’ or ‘sun’; viri (root of this verb used here in the sense of an adjectival participle), ‘spreading’ or ‘expanding’; kadir, ‘ray’, ‘beam’, ‘light’ or ‘sunlight’; and oḷiyē, ‘light’ or ‘O light’ [vocative (eighth case) form of oḷi, ‘light’]} >>> so ‘வெற்பு உரு அருண விரி கதிர் ஒளியே’ (veṯpu-uru-v-aruṇa-viri-kadir-oḷiyē) is an address to Arunachala as:

Light of dawn-red spreading rays in the form of a hill.

<<< விண்ணினும் (viṇṇiṉum): than space {comparative form of viṇ, ‘sky’ or ‘space’, formed by the suffix um appended to an ablative or locative case-ending} | நுண் (nuṇ): subtle {or ‘subtler’ when following a comparative} | அருள்வெளியே (aruḷ-veḷiyē): grace-space, space of grace {compound of aruḷ, ‘grace’, and veḷiyē, ‘space’ or ‘O space’ [vocative (eighth case) form of veḷi, ‘space’ (particularly a vast open space)]} >>> so ‘விண்ணினும் நுண் அருள் வெளியே’ (viṇṇiṉum nuṇ aruḷ-veḷiyē) is an address to Arunachala as:

Space of grace subtler than [either physical or mental] space.

Verse 7:

வெளிவளி தீநீர் மண்பல வுயிரா
      விரிவுறு பூதபௌ திகங்கள்
வெளியொளி யுன்னை யன்றியின் றென்னின்
      வேறுயா னாருளன் விமலா
வெளியதா யுளத்து வேறற விளங்கின்
      வேறென வெளிவரு வேனார்
வெளிவரா யருணா சலவவன் றலையில்
      விரிமலர்ப் பதத்தினை வைத்தே.

veḷivaḷi tīnīr maṇpala vuyirā
      virivuṟu bhūtabhau tikaṅgaḷ
veḷiyoḷi yuṉṉai yaṉḏṟiyiṉ ḏṟeṉṉiṉ
      vēṟuyā ṉāruḷaṉ vimalā
veḷiyadā yuḷattu vēṟaṟa viḷaṅgiṉ
      vēṟeṉa veḷivaru vēṉār
veḷivarā yaruṇā calavavaṉ ṟalaiyil
      virimalarp padattiṉai vaittē.

பதச்சேதம்: வெளி, வளி, தீ, நீர், மண் பல உயிரா விரிவு உறு பூத பௌதிகங்கள் வெளி ஒளி உன்னை அன்றி இன்று என்னின், வேறு யான் ஆர் உளன்? விமலா, வெளி அதாய் உளத்து வேறு அற விளங்கின், வேறு என வெளி வருவேன் ஆர்? வெளி வராய், அருணாசல, அவன் தலையில் விரி மலர் பதத்தினை வைத்தே.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): veḷi, vaḷi, tī, nīr, maṇ pala uyirā virivu-uṟu bhūta-bhautikaṅgaḷ veḷi oḷi uṉṉai aṉḏṟi iṉḏṟu-eṉṉiṉ, vēṟu yāṉ ār uḷaṉ? vimalā, veḷi-y-adāy uḷattu vēṟu aṟa viḷaṅgiṉ, vēṟu eṉa veḷi varuvēṉ ār? veḷi varāy, aruṇācala, avaṉ talaiyil viri malar padattiṉai vaittē.

English translation: If the elements, space, air, fire, water and earth, and what are composed of the elements, which expand as many living beings, are not other than you, the space of light, who else am I? O blemishless, if shining without another in the heart as that space, who am I who come outside as if another? May you come outside, Arunachala, placing the fully blossomed lotus-feet on his head.

Explanatory paraphrase: If the [five] bhūtas [elements], [namely] space, air, fire, water and earth, and bhautikas [everything composed of these elements], which expand [spread out or unfold] as many living beings, are not other than you [or do not exist besides you], the space of light [the light of pure awareness], who else am I? O blemishless, if [you] shine without another in the heart as that space [of pure awareness], who am I who come outside as if another? May you come outside, Arunachala, placing [your] fully blossomed [expansive or all-pervading] lotus-feet on his head [namely on the head of this ego, the spurious ‘I’ who has come out as if other than you].

Padavurai (word-explanation): வெளி (veḷi): space | வளி (vaḷi): air, wind | தீ (tī): fire | நீர் (nīr): water | மண் (maṇ): earth | பல (pala): many | உயிரா (uyirā): as living beings {compound of uyir, ‘life’, ‘soul’ or ‘living being’, and the adverbial suffix ā, ‘being’ or ‘as’} | விரிவுறு (virivuṟu): expanding, which expand {compound of virivu, ‘expansion’ or ‘what has spread out’, and uṟu (root of this verb, meaning ‘be’ or ‘happen’, used here in the sense of an adjectival participle), ‘being’ or ‘happening’} | பூதபௌதிகங்கள் (bhūta-bhautikaṅgaḷ): bhūtam and bhautikam, elements and what are composed of elements {compound of bhūtam (Tamil form of the Sanskrit bhūta), ‘element’, and bhautikam (Tamil form of the Sanskrit bhautika), ‘what are composed of elements’, with the plural termination gaḷ to indicate a set of more than one components} | வெளியொளி (veḷi-y-oḷi): space-light, space of light {compound of veḷi, ‘space’, and oḷi, ‘light’, implying the space of pure awareness} | உன்னை (uṉṉai): you {accusative (second case) form of the second person singular pronoun} | அன்றி (aṉḏṟi): besides, other than | இன்றென்னின் (iṉḏṟeṉṉiṉ): if [they] are not, if [they] do not exist {compound of iṉḏṟu, ‘is not’, ‘are not’ or ‘do not exist’, and eṉṉiṉ, ‘if saying’ or ‘if said’ (conditional form of eṉ, ‘say’, used in the sense ‘if it is the case that’ or just ‘if’)} | வேறு (vēṟu): other, different, else | யான் (yāṉ): I {first person singular pronoun} | ஆர் (ār): who {interrogative pronoun} | உளன் (uḷaṉ): am {poetic abbreviation of uḷḷaṉ, literary variant of uḷḷēṉ, first person form of the verb uḷ, ‘be’} >>> so ‘வெளி, வளி, தீ, நீர், மண் பல உயிரா விரிவு உறு பூத பௌதிகங்கள் வெளி ஒளி உன்னை அன்றி இன்று என்னின், வேறு யான் ஆர் உளன்?’ (veḷi, vaḷi, tī, nīr, maṇ pala uyirā virivu-uṟu bhūta-bhautikaṅgaḷ veḷi oḷi uṉṉai aṉḏṟi iṉḏṟu-eṉṉiṉ, vēṟu yāṉ ār uḷaṉ?) means ‘If the elements, space, air, fire, water and earth, and what are composed of the elements, which expand as many living beings, are not other than you, the space of light, who else am I?’, which implies:

If the [five] bhūtas [elements], [namely] space, air, fire, water and earth, and bhautikas [everything composed of these elements], which expand [spread out or unfold] as many living beings, are not other than you [or do not exist besides you], the space of light [the light of pure awareness], who else am I?

<<< விமலா (vimalā): blemishless, O blemishless {vocative (eighth case) form of vimalaṉ, ‘he who is blemishless’, personal (masculine) form of vimalam, Tamil form of the Sanskrit vimala, ‘stainless’, ‘blemishless’ or ‘immaculate’} | வெளியதாய் (veḷi-y-adāy): being that space, as that space {compound of veḷi, ‘space’, and the suffix adāy, ‘being that’ or ‘as that’, which is a compound of the distal demonstrative pronoun adu, ‘that’, and the adverbial suffix āy, ‘being’ or ‘as’} | உளத்து (uḷattu): in the heart {poetic abbreviation of uḷḷattu, inflectional base and locative (seventh case) form of uḷḷam, ‘heart’} | வேறற (vēṟaṟa): without another {compound of vēṟu, ‘other’ or ‘another’, and aṟa (infinitive of aṟu, ‘be severed’, ‘be cut’ or ‘cease’, used adverbially), ‘without’} | விளங்கின் (viḷaṅgiṉ): if shining, if [you] shine {conditional form of viḷaṅgu, ‘shine’} | வேறு (vēṟu): another, what is other, what is different | என (eṉa): as, as if, like {infinitive of eṉ, ‘say’, used here as a particle of comparison} | வெளி (veḷi): outside | வருவேன் (varuvēṉ): I who come {future (but used generically as a continuous present) first person singular pronominal noun (a noun formed by adding a pronominal ending to an adjective, adjectival participle, verb, noun or pronoun; in other words, a noun that translates literally into English as a noun phrase headed by a pronoun)} | ஆர் (ār): who {interrogative pronoun} >>> so ‘விமலா, வெளி அதாய் உளத்து வேறு அற விளங்கின், வேறு என வெளி வருவேன் ஆர்?’ (vimalā, veḷi-y-adāy uḷattu vēṟu aṟa viḷaṅgiṉ, vēṟu eṉa veḷi varuvēṉ ār?) means ‘O blemishless, if shining without another in the heart as that space, who am I who come outside as if another?’, which implies:

O blemishless, if [you] shine without another in the heart as that space [of pure awareness], who am I who come outside as if another?

<<< வெளி (veḷi): outside | வராய் (varāy): may you come {second person singular optative} | அருணாசல (aruṇācala): Arunachala {vocative (eighth case) form of aruṇācalaṉ, personal (masculine) form of aruṇācalam, Tamil form of the Sanskrit aruṇācala} | அவன் (avaṉ): his {inflectional base and genitive (sixth case) form of the masculine third person singular pronoun, avaṉ, ‘he’} | தலையில் (talaiyil): on head {locative (seventh case) form of talai, ‘head’} | விரி (viri): blossomed, expansive, pervasive, immense, vast {viri is both a verb that means ‘expand’, ‘extend’, ‘pervade’, ‘spread out’, ‘open’, ‘blossom’ or ‘unfold’ and a noun that means ‘expanse’ or ‘fullness’, but here it is used in an adjectival sense, ‘fully blossomed’, ‘expansive’ or ‘all-pervading’} | மலர் (malar): flower (here implying ‘lotus’) | பதத்தினை (padattiṉai): feet {accusative (second case) form of padam, Tamil form of the Sanskrit pada, ‘foot’ or ‘feet’} | வைத்தே (vaittē): putting, placing, keeping {intensified form of the adverbial participle vaittu} >>> so ‘வெளி வராய், அருணாசல, அவன் தலையில் விரி மலர் பதத்தினை வைத்தே’ (veḷi varāy, aruṇācala, avaṉ talaiyil viri malar padattiṉai vaittē) means ‘May you come outside, Arunachala, placing the fully blossomed lotus-feet on his head’, which implies:

May you come outside, Arunachala, placing [your] fully blossomed [expansive or all-pervading] lotus-feet on his head [namely on the head of this ego, the spurious ‘I’ who has come out as if other than you].

Explanations and discussions:
2022-06-17: The outward-running nature of the mind can be curbed and redirected to sink back within only by the grace of Arunachala, who is what is always existing and shining clearly in our heart as our own being, ‘I am’, and his drawing the mind back within to face himself alone and thereby to sink and merge forever in him, the heart, is what Bhagavan describes metaphorically in verse 7 of Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai as him being or sitting down firmly on the mind, just as he describes it metaphorically in this verse as him placing his vast lotus-feet on the head of ego, the spurious ‘I’ who has come out as if it were something other than him

Verse 8:

வைத்தனை வாளா வையகத் துய்யும்
      வழியறி மதியழித் திங்ஙன்
வைத்திடி லார்க்கு மின்பிலை துன்பே
      வாழ்விதிற் சாவதே மாண்பாம்
பைத்தியம் பற்றிப் பயனறு மெனக்குன்
      பதமுறு மருமருந் தருள்வாய்
பைத்திய மருந்தாப் பாரொளி ரருண
      பருப்பத வுருப்பெறு பரனே.

vaittaṉai vāḷā vaiyahat tuyyum
      vaṙiyaṟi matiyaṙit tiṅṅgaṉ
vaittiḍi lārkku miṉbilai tuṉbē
      vāṙvidiṯ cāvadē māṇbām
paittiyam paṯṟip payaṉaṟu meṉakkuṉ
      padamuṟu marumarun daruḷvāy
paittiya marundāp pāroḷi raruṇa
      paruppata vuruppeṟu paraṉē.

பதச்சேதம்: வைத்தனை வாளா, வையகத்து உய்யும் வழி அறி மதி அழித்து. இங்ஙன் வைத்திடில், ஆர்க்கும் இன்பு இலை, துன்பே. வாழ்வு இதில் சாவதே மாண்பு ஆம். பைத்தியம் பற்றி பயன் அறும் எனக்கு உன் பதம் உறும் அரு மருந்து அருள்வாய், பைத்திய மருந்தா பார் ஒளிர் அருண பருப்பத உரு பெறு பரனே.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): vaittaṉai vāḷā, vaiyahattu uyyum vaṙi aṟi mati aṙittu. iṅṅgaṉ vaittiḍil, ārkkum iṉbu ilai, tuṉbē. vāṙvu-idil sāvadē māṇbu ām. paittiyam paṯṟi payaṉ aṟum eṉakku uṉ padam uṟum aru-marundu aruḷvāy, paittiya marundā pār oḷir aruṇa paruppata uru peṟu paraṉē.

அன்வயம்: வையகத்து உய்யும் வழி அறி மதி அழித்து, வாளா வைத்தனை. இங்ஙன் வைத்திடில், ஆர்க்கும் இன்பு இலை, துன்பே. வாழ்வு இதில் சாவதே மாண்பு ஆம். பைத்திய மருந்தா பார் ஒளிர் அருண பருப்பத உரு பெறு பரனே, பைத்தியம் பற்றி பயன் அறும் எனக்கு உன் பதம் உறும் அரு மருந்து அருள்வாய்.

Anvayam (words rearranged in natural prose order): vaiyahattu uyyum vaṙi aṟi mati aṙittu, vāḷā vaittaṉai. iṅṅgaṉ vaittiḍil, ārkkum iṉbu ilai, tuṉbē. vāṙvu-idil sāvadē māṇbu ām. paittiya marundā pār oḷir aruṇa paruppata uru peṟu paraṉē, paittiyam paṯṟi payaṉ aṟum eṉakku uṉ padam uṟum aru-marundu aruḷvāy.

English translation: Destroying the inclination to know the way by which to live in this world, you kept as worthless. If keeping in this condition, it will not be happiness for anyone, only misery. Dying indeed is better than this life. To me, who, madness possessing, am bereft of fruit, graciously give the rare medicine by which to reach your feet, Supreme, who have taken the form of Aruna Hill, which shines on Earth as the medicine for madness.

Explanatory paraphrase: Destroying [in me] the inclination [wish, will, thought, intelligence or understanding] to know the way by which to live [subsist or survive] in this world, you kept [me] as worthless. If [you] keep [me] in this condition, it will not be happiness for anyone, only misery. Dying indeed is better than this life. To me, who, [despite] being possessed by madness [the madness of love for you], am bereft of fruit [the fruit of such madness, namely dissolving forever in you, the infinite space of jñāna or pure awareness], graciously give the rare [or pre-eminent] medicine [namely jñāna] by which to reach your feet [or state], Supreme, who have taken the form of Aruna Hill, which shines on Earth as the medicine for madness [the madness of desire for the world].

Padavurai (word-explanation): வைத்தனை (vaittaṉai): you kept {intensified second person singular past tense form of vai, ‘put’, ‘place’ or ‘keep’} | வாளா (vāḷā): silently, quietly, uselessly, fruitlessly, worthlessly, as worthless {adverb} | வையகத்து (vaiyahattu): in the world {inflection base of vaiyaham, ‘world’, used in a locative (seventh case) sense} | உய்யும் (uyyum): living, subsisting, surviving, which lives, by which to live {future (but used generically as a continuous present) adjectival participle} | வழி (vaṙi): way, path, means | அறி (aṟi): know, knowing, to know, which knows, by which to know {root of this verb used here in the sense of an adjectival participle} | மதி (mati): inclination, wish, will, intention, thought, mind, intellect, intelligence, understanding | அழித்து (aṙittu): destroying {adverbial participle} >>> so ‘வைத்தனை வாளா, வையகத்து உய்யும் வழி அறி மதி அழித்து’ (vaittaṉai vāḷā, vaiyahattu uyyum vaṙi aṟi mati aṙittu) means ‘Destroying the inclination to know the way by which to live in this world, you kept as worthless’, which implies:

Destroying [in me] the inclination [wish, will, thought, intelligence or understanding] to know the way by which to live [subsist or survive] in this world, you kept [me] as worthless.

<<< இங்ஙன் (iṅṅgaṉ): thus, in this manner, in this way, in this condition {adverb} | வைத்திடில் (vaittiḍil): if keeping, if kept, if [you] keep {conditional form of vai, ‘put’, ‘place’ or ‘keep’} | ஆர்க்கும் (ārkkum): for everyone, for anyone {ārkku, ‘to whom’ or ‘for whom’, is a dative (fourth case) form of the interrogative pronoun ār, ‘who’, and the suffix um here implies completeness, wholeness, totality or entirety, so ārkkum means ‘for everyone’ or in this case ‘for anyone’} | இன்பு (iṉbu): happiness | இலை (ilai): it is not, it will not be | துன்பே (tuṉbē): only misery, just misery {intensified form of tuṉbu, ‘misery’, ‘unhappiness’, ‘sorrow’, ‘distress’, ‘pain’ or ‘trouble’} >>> so ‘இங்ஙன் வைத்திடில், ஆர்க்கும் இன்பு இலை, துன்பே’ (iṅṅgaṉ vaittiḍil, ārkkum iṉbu ilai, tuṉbē) means ‘If keeping in this condition, it will not be happiness for anyone, only misery’, which implies:

If [you] keep [me] in this condition, it will not be happiness for anyone, only misery.

<<< வாழ்விதில் (vāṙvidil): than this life {compound of vāṙvu, ‘life’, and the suffix idil (ablative or locative form of the proximal demonstrative pronoun idu, ‘this’), ‘from this’ or ‘in this’, used here in a comparative sense, ‘than this’} | சாவதே (sāvadē): dying indeed {intensified form of sāvadu, a verbal noun meaning ‘dying’, in which the intensifying suffix ē implies ‘indeed’ or ‘certainly’} | மாண்பு (māṇbu): glory, greatness, goodness, excellence {or ‘better’ when following a comparative} | ஆம் (ām): is {future (but used generically as a continuous present) singular and plural third person neuter form of ā, ‘be’} >>> so ‘வாழ்வு இதில் சாவதே மாண்பு ஆம்’ (vāṙvu idil sāvadē māṇbu ām) means:

Dying indeed is better than this life.

<<< பைத்தியம் (paittiyam): madness | பற்றி (paṯṟi): grasping, seizing, holding, possessing {adverbial participle} | பயன் (payaṉ): benefit, gain, profit, fruit, result | அறும் (aṟum): being severed, being separated, from whom [it] is separated {adjectival participle, implying ‘who am devoid of’ or ‘who am bereft of’} | எனக்கு (eṉakku): to me {dative (fourth case) form of the first person singular pronoun} | உன் (uṉ): your {inflectional base and genitive (sixth case) form of the second person singular pronoun} | பதம் (padam): feet, state {Tamil form of the Sanskrit pada, ‘foot’ or ‘state’} | உறும் (uṟum): being, happening, joining, reaching, by which to reach {adjectival participle} | அருமருந்து (aru-marundu): rare medicine, pre-eminent medicine {compound of aru, ‘rare’ or ‘pre-eminent’, and marundu, ‘medicine’} | அருள்வாய் (aruḷvāy): may you graciously give, may you grant, may you bestow {second person singular future form of aruḷ, ‘be gracious’, ‘graciously give’, ‘grant’ or ‘bestow’, used here in an optative sense} >>> so ‘பைத்தியம் பற்றி பயன் அறும் எனக்கு உன் பதம் உறும் அரு மருந்து அருள்வாய்’ (paittiyam paṯṟi payaṉ aṟum eṉakku uṉ padam uṟum aru-marundu aruḷvāy) means ‘To me, who, madness possessing, am bereft of fruit, graciously give the rare medicine by which to reach your feet’, which implies:

To me, who, [despite] being possessed by madness [the madness of love for you], am bereft of fruit [the fruit of such madness, namely dissolving forever in you, the infinite space of jñāna or pure awareness], graciously give the rare [or pre-eminent] medicine [namely jñāna] by which to reach your feet [or state].

பைத்தியமருந்தா (paittiya-marundā): as the medicine for madness {compound of paittiyam, ‘madness’; marundu, ‘medicine’; and the adverbial suffix ā, ‘being’ or ‘as’} | பார் (pār): expanse, Earth | ஒளிர் (oḷir): shining, which shines {root of this verb used here in the sense of an adjectival participle} | அருணபருப்பதவுரு (aruṇa-paruppata-v-uru): Aruna-hill-form, the form of Aruna Hill {compound of aruṇam, ‘Aruna’ or ‘dawn-red’; paruppatam, Tamil form of the Sanskrit parvata, ‘hill’ or ‘mountain’; and uru, ‘form’} | பெறு (peṟu): getting, obtaining, taking, who have taken {root of this verb used here in the sense of an adjectival participle} | பரனே (paraṉē): Supreme, O Supreme {vocative (eighth case) form of paraṉ, personal (masculine) form of param, Tamil form of the Sanskrit para, used here in the sense ‘supreme’} >>> so ‘பைத்திய மருந்தா பார் ஒளிர் அருண பருப்பத உரு பெறு பரனே’ (paittiya marundā pār oḷir aruṇa paruppata uru peṟu paraṉē) is an address to Arunachala as ‘Supreme, who have taken the form of Aruna Hill, which shines on Earth as the medicine for madness’, which implies:

Supreme, who have taken the form of Aruna Hill, which shines on Earth as the medicine for madness [the madness of desire for the world].

Explanations and discussions:
2017-09-24: To the extent to which we are seriously following Bhagavan’s path of self-investigation and self-surrender, we will feel that we are unfit to live in this world, as he expresses in this verse by singing that Arunachala had robbed him of the inclination or ability to know how to live in this world and that to die is better than to live in such a manner, meaning that it is better for ego to die than to remain suspended without either attachment to the world or sufficient love to surrender itself completely

Verse 9:

பரமநின் பாதம் பற்றறப் பற்றும்
      பரவறி வறியரிற் பரமன்
பரமுனக் கெனவென் பணியறப் பணியாய்
      பரித்திடு முனக்கெது பாரம்
பரமநிற் பிரிந்திவ் வுலகினைத் தலையிற்
      பற்றியான் பெற்றது போதும்
பரமனா மருணா சலவெனை யினியுன்
      பதத்தினின் றொதுக்குறப் பாரேல்.

paramaniṉ pādam paṯṟaṟap paṯṟum
      paravaṟi vaṟiyariṯ paramaṉ
bharamuṉak keṉaveṉ paṇiyaṟap paṇiyāy
      bharittiḍu muṉakkedu bhāram
paramaniṯ pirindiv vulahiṉait talaiyiṯ
      paṯṟiyāṉ peṯṟadu pōdum
paramaṉā maruṇā calaveṉai yiṉiyuṉ
      padattiṉiṉ ḏṟodukkuṟap pārēl.

பதச்சேதம்: பரம, நின் பாதம் பற்று அற பற்றும் பர அறி வறியரில் பரமன். பரம் உனக்கு என, என் பணி அற பணியாய். பரித்திடும் உனக்கு எது பாரம்? பரம, நின் பிரிந்து இவ் உலகினை தலையில் பற்றி யான் பெற்றது போதும். பரமன் ஆம் அருணாசல, எனை இனி உன் பதத்தினின்று ஒதுக்கு உற பாரேல்.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): parama, niṉ pādam paṯṟu aṟa paṯṟum para-v-aṟi-vaṟiyaril paramaṉ. bharam uṉakku-eṉa, eṉ paṇi aṟa paṇiyāy. bharittiḍum uṉakku edu bhāram? parama, niṉ pirindu i-vv-ulahiṉai talaiyil paṯṟi yāṉ peṯṟadu pōdum. paramaṉ ām aruṇācala, eṉai iṉi uṉ padattiṉiṉḏṟu odukku uṟa pārēl.

English translation: Supreme, the supreme among those who are destitute of the supreme wisdom to cling without attachment to your feet. The burden as for you, may you ordain my activity to cease. For you, who bear, what is a burden? Supreme, separating from you and grasping this world on the head, what I have got is enough. Arunachala, who are the Supreme, do not see me henceforth to be away from your feet

Explanatory paraphrase: Supreme, [I am] the supreme among those who are destitute of the supreme wisdom to cling without attachment to your feet. [Taking] the burden [the responsibility for saving me] as for you [or as yours], may you ordain my activity [beginning with my rising to do anything] to cease. For you, who bear [carry or support everything], what is a burden? Supreme, separating from you and grasping this world on [my] head, what I have got [thereby] is enough. Arunachala, who are the Supreme, do not see [or allow] me henceforth to be away from your feet [or your state].

Padavurai (word-explanation): பரம (parama): Supreme, O Supreme {vocative (eighth case) form of paramaṉ, Tamil personal (masculine) form of the Sanskrit parama (superlative of para), ‘highest’, ‘best’, ‘most excellent’, ‘ultimate’ or ‘supreme’} | நின் (niṉ): your {inflectional base and genitive (sixth case) form of the second person singular pronoun} | பாதம் (pādam): feet {Tamil form of the Sanskrit pāda, ‘foot’} | பற்று (paṯṟu): attachment, grasping, clinging {noun} | அற (aṟa): without {infinitive of aṟu, ‘be severed’, ‘be cut’ or ‘cease’, used adverbially} | பற்றும் (paṯṟum): grasping, holding, embracing, clinging to, which clings to, to cling to {future (but used generically as a continuous present) adjectival participle} | பரவறிவறியரில் (para-v-aṟi-vaṟiyaril): among supreme-wisdom-destitutes, among those who are destitute of supreme wisdom {compound of para, ‘supreme’, aṟi, ‘knowledge’ or ‘wisdom’, and vaṟiyaril, ‘among those who are destitute’ [locative (seventh case) form of vaṟiyar, plural of vaṟiyaṉ, ‘impoverished man’ or ‘destitute person’]} | பரமன் (paramaṉ): the supreme, he who is supreme {Tamil personal (masculine) form of the Sanskrit parama, ‘highest’, ‘best’, ‘most excellent’, ‘ultimate’ or ‘supreme’} >>> so ‘பரம, நின் பாதம் பற்று அற பற்றும் பர அறி வறியரில் பரமன்’ (parama, niṉ pādam paṯṟu aṟa paṯṟum para-v-aṟi-vaṟiyaril paramaṉ) means ‘Supreme, the supreme among those who are destitute of the supreme wisdom to cling without attachment to your feet’, which implies:

Supreme, [I am] the supreme among those who are destitute of the supreme wisdom to cling without attachment to your feet.

<<< பரம் (bharam): burden, load, weight {Tamil form of the Sanskrit bhara, ‘bearing’, ‘supporting’, ‘burden’ or ‘load’, from the verbal root bhṛ, ‘carry’, ‘bear’, ‘support’, ‘endure’, ‘sustain’, ‘maintain’, ‘cherish’ or ‘protect’} | உனக்கென (uṉakkeṉa): as for you, as for yourself, as yours {compound of uṉakku (dative form of the second person singular pronoun), ‘to you’, ‘for you’ or ‘for yourself’, and eṉa (infinitive of eṉ, ‘say’, used adverbially), ‘thus’ or ‘as’} | என் (eṉ): my {inflectional base and genitive (sixth case) form of the first person singular pronoun} | பணி (paṇi): activity, action, work | அற (aṟa): to cease {infinitive of aṟu, ‘be severed’, ‘be cut’ or ‘cease’} | பணியாய் (paṇiyāy): may you order {second person singular future form of paṇi, ‘say’, ‘speak’, ‘declare’, ‘order’, ‘ordain’, ‘command’, ‘direct’, ‘give’ or ‘bestow’, used here in an optative sense} >>> so ‘பரம் உனக்கு என, என் பணி அற பணியாய்’ (bharam uṉakku-eṉa, eṉ paṇi aṟa paṇiyāy) means ‘The burden as for you, may you ordain my activity to cease’, which implies:

[Taking] the burden [the responsibility for saving me] as for you [or as yours], may you ordain my activity [beginning with my rising to do anything] to cease.

<<< பரித்திடும் (bharittiḍum): bearing, carrying, supporting, sustaining, who bear {future (but used generically as a continuous present) adjectival participle of bhari, Tamil form of the Sanskrit bhṛ, ‘carry’, ‘bear’, ‘support’, ‘endure’, ‘sustain’, ‘maintain’, ‘cherish’ or ‘protect’} | உனக்கு (uṉakku): to you, for you {dative (fourth case) form of the second person singular pronoun} | எது (edu): what interrogative pronoun} | பாரம் (bhāram): burden, load, weight >>> so ‘பரித்திடும் உனக்கு எது பாரம்?’ (bharittiṭum uṉakku edu bhāram?) means ‘For you, who bear, what is a burden?’, which implies:

For you, who bear [carry or support everything], what is a burden?

<<< பரம (parama): Supreme, O Supreme {vocative (eighth case) form of paramaṉ} | நின் (niṉ): from you {inflectional base of the second person singular pronoun used here in an ablative (fifth case) sense} | பிரிந்து (pirindu): separating, departing {adverbial participle} | இவ்வுலகினை (i-vv-ulahiṉai): this world {accusative (second case) form of i-vv-ulahu, compound of the proximal demonstrative prefix i, ‘this’, and ulahu, ‘world’} | தலையில் (talaiyil): on head | பற்றி (paṯṟi): grasping, holding {adverbial participle} | யான் (yāṉ): I {first person singular pronoun} | பெற்றது (peṯṟadu): what has been got, what [I] have got {neuter third person singular pronominal noun formed from peṯṟa, the past adjectival participle of peṟu, ‘get’, ‘obtain’ or ‘gain’} | போதும் (pōdum): suffices, is enough {future (but used generically as a continuous present) singular and plural third person neuter form of pōdu, ‘suffice’, ‘be adequate’ or ‘be enough’} >>> so ‘பரம, நின் பிரிந்து இவ் உலகினை தலையில் பற்றி யான் பெற்றது போதும்’ (parama, niṉ pirindu i-vv-ulahiṉai talaiyil paṯṟi yāṉ peṯṟadu pōdum) means ‘Supreme, separating from you and grasping this world on the head, what I have got is enough’, which implies:

Supreme, separating from you and grasping this world on [my] head, what I have got [thereby] is enough.

<<< பரமன் (paramaṉ): the supreme, he who is supreme {Tamil personal (masculine) form of the Sanskrit parama, ‘highest’, ‘best’, ‘most excellent’, ‘ultimate’ or ‘supreme’} | ஆம் (ām): being, who are {future (but used generically as a continuous present) adjectival participle} | அருணாசல (aruṇācala): Arunachala {vocative (eighth case) form of aruṇācalaṉ, personal (masculine) form of aruṇācalam, Tamil form of the Sanskrit aruṇācala} | எனை (eṉai): me {poetic abbreviation of eṉṉai, accusative (second case) form of the first person singular pronoun} | இனி (iṉi): now, hereafter, henceforth {adverb} | உன் (uṉ): your {inflectional base and genitive (sixth case) form of the second person singular pronoun} | பதத்தினின்று (padattiṉiṉḏṟu): from [your] feet, from [your] state {ablative (fifth case) form of padam, Tamil form of the Sanskrit pada, ‘foot’ or ‘state’} | ஒதுக்குற (odukkuṟa): to be apart, to be separate, to be away {compound of odukku, ‘what is apart’, ‘what is separate’ or ‘what is out of reach’, and uṟa (infinitive of uṟu), ‘to be’, ‘to happen’ or ‘to dwell’} | பாரேல் (pārēl): do not see, do not allow {singular negative imperative of pār, ‘see’, ‘look’, ‘seek’, ‘look after’, ‘care for’, ‘desire’, ‘wish’ or ‘intend’, in this case implying ‘allow’} >>> so ‘பரமன் ஆம் அருணாசல, எனை இனி உன் பதத்தினின்று ஒதுக்கு உற பாரேல்’ (paramaṉ ām aruṇācala, eṉai iṉi uṉ padattiṉiṉḏṟu odukku uṟa pārēl) means ‘Arunachala, who are the Supreme, do not see me henceforth to be away from your feet’, which implies:

Arunachala, who are the Supreme, do not see [or allow] me henceforth to be away from your feet [or your state].

Explanations and discussions:
2016-06-06: Since in his clear and infinite view God alone exists, nothing at all is other than himself, so he does not see ego as ego or its burdens as burdens, and hence his love is infinite and embraces all of us, so just by being the infinite love that he is, he effortlessly bears us and all our burdens

Verse 10:

பார்த்தனன் புதுமை யுயிர்வலி காந்த
      பருவத மொருதர மிதனை
யோர்த்திடு முயிரின் சேட்டையை யொடுக்கி
      யொருதன தபிமுக மாக
வீர்த்ததைத் தன்போ லசலமாச் செய்தவ்
      வின்னுயிர் பலிகொளு மிஃதென்
னோர்த்துய்மி னுயிர்கா ளுளமதி லொளிரிவ்
      வுயிர்க்கொலி யருணமா கிரியே.

pārttaṉaṉ pudumai yuyirvali kānta
      paruvata morudara midaṉai
yōrttiḍu muyiriṉ cēṭṭaiyai yoḍukki
      yorutaṉa dabhimukha māha
vīrttadait taṉpō lacalamāc ceydav
      viṉṉuyir balikoḷu miḵdeṉ
ṉōrttuymi ṉuyirgā ḷuḷamadi loḷiriv
      vuyirkkoli yaruṇamā giriyē.

பதச்சேதம்: பார்த்தனன் புதுமை, உயிர் வலி காந்த பருவதம். ஒருதரம் இதனை ஓர்த்திடும் உயிரின் சேட்டையை ஒடுக்கி, ஒரு தனது அபிமுகம் ஆக ஈர்த்து, அதை தன் போல் அசலம் ஆ செய்து, அவ் இன் உயிர் பலி கொளும். இஃது என்! ஓர்த்து உய்மின், உயிர்காள், உளம் அதில் ஒளிர் இவ் உயிர் கொலி அருண மா கிரியே.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): pārttaṉaṉ pudumai, uyir vali kānta-paruvatam. orudaram idaṉai ōrttiḍum uyiriṉ cēṭṭaiyai oḍukki, oru taṉadu abhimukham-āha īrttu, adai taṉ-pōl acalam-ā seydu, a-vv-iṉ-ṉ-uyir bali koḷum. iḵdu eṉ! ōrttu uymiṉ, uyirgāḷ, uḷam-adil oḷir i-vv-uyir-k-koli aruṇa-mā-giriyē.

அன்வயம்: பார்த்தனன் புதுமை, உயிர் வலி காந்த பருவதம். இதனை ஒருதரம் ஓர்த்திடும் உயிரின் சேட்டையை ஒடுக்கி, ஒரு தனது அபிமுகம் ஆக ஈர்த்து, அதை தன் போல் அசலம் ஆ செய்து, அவ் இன் உயிர் பலி கொளும். இஃது என்! உயிர்காள், உளம் அதில் ஒளிர் இவ் உயிர் கொலி அருண மா கிரியே ஓர்த்து உய்மின்.

Anvayam (words rearranged in natural prose order): pārttaṉaṉ pudumai, uyir vali kānta-paruvatam. idaṉai orudaram ōrttiḍum uyiriṉ cēṭṭaiyai oḍukki, oru taṉadu abhimukham-āha īrttu, adai taṉ-pōl acalam-ā seydu, a-vv-iṉ-ṉ-uyir bali koḷum. iḵdu eṉ! uyirgāḷ, uḷam-adil oḷir i-vv-uyir-k-koli aruṇa-mā-giriyē ōrttu uymiṉ.

English translation: I have seen a wonder, the magnetic hill that forcibly seizes the soul. Subduing the mischievous activity of the soul who thinks of it once, pulling to be facing towards its unique self, making it be motionless like itself, it will take that sweet soul as bali. This is what! Souls, be saved thinking of the great Aruna Hill, this killer of the soul, who shines in the heart.

Explanatory paraphrase: I have seen a wonder [something extraordinary and miraculous], [this] magnetic hill that forcibly seizes [pulls or attracts] the soul. Subduing the mischievous [outward-going mental] activity of the soul who thinks of it once, pulling [dragging or attracting] [that soul] to be facing towards itself, the one [reality that shines in the heart as sat-cit, pure being-awareness, ‘I am’], [thereby] making it be acala [motionless] like itself, it will take [and consume] that sweet [spiritually ripened and pure] soul as bali [food offered in sacrifice or as alms]. What [a wonder] this is! Souls, be saved [by] thinking of the great Aruna Hill, this killer of the soul, who shines in the heart [as the heart, namely sat-cit, pure being-awareness, ‘I am’].

Padavurai (word-explanation): பார்த்தனன் (pārttaṉaṉ): I saw, I have seen {literary variant of pārttēṉ, first person singular past tense form of pār, ‘see’} | புதுமை (pudumai): newness, freshness, strangeness, extraordinariness, novelty, wonder, miracle >>> so ‘பார்த்தனன் புதுமை’ (pārttaṉaṉ pudumai) means ‘I have seen a wonder’ <<< உயிர் (uyir): life, soul, jīva | வலி (vali): force, compel, seize, draw, pull, attract {root of this verb used here in the sense of an adjectival participle meaning ‘seizing’, ‘pulling’, ‘attracting’, ‘that forcibly seizes’ or ‘that forcibly attracts’} | காந்தபருவதம் (kānta-paruvatam): magnetic hill {compound of kāntam, Tamil form of the Sanskrit kānta, ‘desired’, ‘loved’, ‘dear’, ‘pleasing’, ‘charming’, ‘attractive’, ‘agreeable’, ‘lovely’, ‘beautiful’, ‘anyone beloved’ or ‘magnet’ (from the verb kam, ‘desire’, ‘love’, ‘wish’ or ‘long for’), and paruvatam, Tamil form of the Sanskrit parvata, ‘hill’ or ‘mountain’} >>> so ‘உயிர் வலி காந்தபருவதம்’ (uyir vali kānta-paruvatam) means ‘soul-seizing magnetic hill’ or ‘the magnetic hill that forcibly seizes the soul’, and hence this first sentence, ‘பார்த்தனன் புதுமை, உயிர் வலி காந்தபருவதம்’ (pārttaṉaṉ pudumai, uyir vali kānta-paruvatam), means ‘I have seen a wonder, the magnetic hill that forcibly seizes the soul’, which implies:

I have seen a wonder [something extraordinary and miraculous], [this] magnetic hill that forcibly seizes [pulls or attracts] the soul.

<<< ஒருதரம் (orudaram): one time, once {compound of oru, ‘one’, and taram, ‘time’} | இதனை (idaṉai): this {accusative (second case) form of the proximal demonstrative pronoun, idu, ‘this’, referring here to this magnetic hill} | ஓர்த்திடும் (ōrttiḍum): considering, who considers, thinking of, who thinks of, being attentive to, who is attentive to {future (but used generically as a continuous present) adjectival participle} | உயிரின் (uyiriṉ): of the soul {inflectional base of uyir, used here in a genitive (sixth case) sense} | சேட்டையை (cēṭṭaiyai): mischievous activity {accusative (second case) form of cēṭṭai, a Tamil form of the Sanskrit cēṣṭā, ‘movement’, ‘action’, ‘activity’ or ‘exertion’, but in Tamil meaning particularly ‘mischievous activity’, referring here to the outward-going activity of the mind} | ஒடுக்கி (oḍukki): causing to subside, causing to cease, subduing, suppressing, subjugating, reducing, dissolving {adverbial participle} >>> so ‘ஒருதரம் இதனை ஓர்த்திடும் உயிரின் சேட்டையை ஒடுக்கி’ (orudaram idaṉai ōrttiḍum uyiriṉ cēṭṭaiyai oḍukki) means ‘subduing the mischievous activity of the soul who thinks of it once’ <<< ஒரு (oru): one, single, unique, peerless, special {adjective modifying taṉadu, here implying that the referent of taṉadu, namely Arunachala, is single, unique and peerless} | தனது (taṉadu): of itself, its own {genitive (sixth case) form of the generic pronoun tāṉ, ‘oneself’ or ‘itself’, here referring to Arunachala, but implying Arunachala as the reality of oneself} | அபிமுகம் (abhimukham): facing towards {Tamil form of the Sanskrit abhimukha, ‘with face turned towards’, ‘with face directed towards’, ‘facing towards’ or ‘going near’, which can be used with the accusative, dative, genitive or locative cases for what is faced towards} | ஆக (āha): to be {infinitive} | ஈர்த்து (īrttu): pulling, dragging, attracting, drawing towards, carrying away {adverbial participle} >>> so ‘ஒரு தனது அபிமுகம் ஆக ஈர்த்து’ (oru taṉadu abhimukham-āha īrttu) means ‘pulling to be facing towards its unique self’ and implies ‘pulling [that soul] to be facing towards itself, the one [reality that shines in the heart as sat-cit, pure being-awareness, ‘I am’]’ <<< அதை (adai): that {accusative (second case) form of the distal demonstrative pronoun, adu, ‘that’, referring here to the soul} | தன்போல் (taṉ-pōl): like itself, as itself {compound of taṉ, the inflectional base of tāṉ, ‘itself’, and pōl, a particle of comparison that means ‘like’, ‘resembling’, ‘similar to’ or ‘as’} | அசலமா (acalamā): be motionless {compound of acalam (Tamil form of the Sanskrit acala), ‘unmoving’, ‘motionless’, ‘immovable’, ‘still’, ‘fixed’, ‘steady’ or ‘permanent’, and the adverbial suffix ā, ‘be’ or ‘as’} | செய்து (seydu): doing, making {adverbial participle} >>> so ‘அதை தன்போல் அசலம் ஆ செய்து’ (adai taṉ pōl acalam-ā seydu) means ‘making it be motionless like itself’ <<< அவ்வின்னுயிர் (a-vv-iṉ-ṉ-uyir): that sweet soul {compound of the distal demonstrative prefix a, ‘that’; iṉ, ‘sweet’, ‘pleasant’ or ‘agreeable’; and uyir, ‘soul’} | பலி (bali): sacrificial offering, food offered to God in worship, food offered as alms | கொளும் (koḷum): it will take {poetic abbreviation of koḷḷum, future neuter third person singular form of koḷ, ‘receive’, ‘accept’, ‘take’, ‘acquire’, ‘grasp’ or ‘seize’} >>> so ‘அவ் இன் உயிர் பலி கொளும்’ (a-vv-iṉ-n-uyir bali koḷum) means ‘it will take that sweet soul as bali’, thereby implying ‘it will take [and consume] that sweet [spiritually ripened and pure] soul as bali [food offered in sacrifice or as alms]’, and hence this second sentence, ‘ஒருதரம் இதனை ஓர்த்திடும் உயிரின் சேட்டையை ஒடுக்கி, ஒரு தனது அபிமுகம் ஆக ஈர்த்து, அதை தன்போல் அசலம் ஆ செய்து, அவ் இன் உயிர் பலி கொளும்’ (orudaram idaṉai ōrttiḍum uyiriṉ cēṭṭaiyai oḍukki, oru taṉadu abhimukham-āha īrttu, adai taṉ pōl acalam ā seydu, a-vv-iṉ-ṉ-uyir bali koḷum), means ‘Subduing the mischievous activity of the soul who thinks of it once, pulling to be facing towards its unique self, making it be motionless like itself, it will take that sweet soul as bali’, which implies:

Subduing the mischievous [outward-going mental] activity of the soul who thinks of it once, pulling [dragging or attracting] [that soul] to be facing towards itself, the one [reality that shines in the heart as sat-cit, pure being-awareness, ‘I am’], [thereby] making it be acala [motionless] like itself, it will take [and consume] that sweet [spiritually ripened and pure] soul as bali [food offered in sacrifice or as alms].

<<< இஃது (iḵdu): this {proximal demonstrative pronoun} | என் (eṉ): what {interrogative pronoun} >>> so this third sentence, ‘இஃது என்!’ (iḵdu eṉ!), is an exclamation of wonder that means ‘This is what!’, which implies:

What [a wonder] this is!

<<< ஓர்த்து (ōrttu): considering, thinking, being attentive {adverbial participle} | உய்மின் (uymiṉ): be saved, live {plural imperative} | உயிர்காள் (uyirgāḷ): souls, O souls {vocative (eighth case) plural form of uyir} >>> so ‘ஓர்த்து உய்மின் உயிர்காள்’ (ōrttu uymiṉ uyirgāḷ) means ‘souls, be saved thinking’ <<< உளமதில் (uḷam-adil): in the heart {compound of uḷam, a poetic abbreviation of uḷḷam, ‘heart’, and adil, a locative (seventh case) form of the distal demonstrative pronoun, adu, ‘that’, used here as a case-marking suffix} | ஒளிர் (oḷir): shine {root of this verb used in the sense of an adjectival participle, ‘shining’ or ‘who shines’} | இவ்வுயிர்க்கொலி (i-vv-uyir-k-koli): this soul-killer, this killer of the soul {compound of the proximal demonstrative prefix i, ‘this’, uyir, ‘soul’, and koli, a poetic abbreviation of kolli, ‘what kills’ or ‘killer’} | அருணமாகிரியே (aruṇa-mā-giriyē): Aruna-great-hill, the great Aruna Hill {compound of aruṇa, ‘Aruna’, mā (Tamil form of the Sanskrit mahā), ‘great’, and giriyē, an intensified form of giri, ‘hill’ or ‘mountain’; though nominative (first case) in form, this compound is used here in an accusative (second case) sense} >>> so ‘உளமதில் ஒளிர் இவ் உயிர்க்கொலி அருணமாகிரியே’ (uḷam-adil oḷir i-vv-uyir-k-koli aruṇa-mā-giriyē) means ‘the great Aruna Hill, this killer of the soul, who shines in the heart’, and hence this final sentence, ‘ஓர்த்து உய்மின், உயிர்காள், உளமதில் ஒளிர் இவ் உயிர்க்கொலி அருணமாகிரியே’ (ōrttu uymiṉ, uyirgāḷ, uḷam-adil oḷir i-vv-uyir-k-koli aruṇa-mā-giriyē), means ‘Souls, be saved thinking of the great Aruna Hill, this killer of the soul, who shines in the heart’, which implies:

Souls, be saved [by] thinking of the great Aruna Hill, this killer of the soul, who shines in the heart [as the heart, namely sat-cit, pure being-awareness, ‘I am’].

Explanations and discussions:
2024-12-25: Mere remembrance of Arunachala will subdue and eventually eradicate ego, as Bhagavan explains in this verse
2023-12-07: The impurities in our mind are our viṣaya-vāsanās, under whose sway we are constantly rushing outwards, so to the extent to which we allow ourself to be swayed by them, we are thereby looking away from ourself at other things, and hence we fail to recognise the presence of grace in our heart, but the more we look within, the more we will recognise its presence and experience its magnetic influence, which is always drawing our mind inwards to face itself, and which will eventually feed on us, swallowing and absorbing us entirely in itself as itself, when our mind is thereby sufficiently purified and ripened, as he describes beautifully in this verse
2022-11-09: Arunachala is a supremely powerful magnet, and his very nature is to forcefully attract and catch hold of ego, the soul or jīva, just as the nature of a physical magnet is to forcefully attract and catch hold of any piece of iron, so though in the outward looking view of ourself as this body-bound ego he appears in the form of a hill, his real nature (svarūpa) is always shining in our heart as our own being, ‘I am’, and hence his nature as the divine magnet is not only to attract us to his outward form, but more importantly is to attract and pull us inwards to face his svarūpa, the one and only reality, and thereby to devour us, as Bhagavan explains in this verse
2022-04-28: Since Bhagavan had experienced the அருட்செயல் (aruḷ-seyal), the doing, working or action of Arunachala’s grace, which had taken complete charge and possession of him, entering and occupying his mind in this way by filling it with the thought of him, thereby stopping its சேட்டை (cēṭṭai or cēṣṭā), its outward-going movement or activity, pulling it inwards to be தனது அபிமுகம் (taṉadu abhimukham), facing towards himself, making it அசலம் (acalam), motionless, like himself, and devouring him as a sweet பலி (bali), food offered in sacrifice, as he describes in this verse, the remembrance of his grace was firmly established and always shining fresh in his mind
2022-03-10: Though Bhagavan says in verse 8 of Upadēśa Undiyār, ‘அனிய பாவத்தின் அவன் அகம் ஆகும் அனனிய பாவமே அனைத்தினும் உத்தமம்’ (aṉiya-bhāvattiṉ avaṉ aham āhum aṉaṉiya-bhāvam-ē aṉaittiṉ-um uttamam), ‘Rather than anya-bhāva, ananya-bhāva, in which he is I, certainly is the best among all’, this is not intended to deny the value or efficacy of anya-bhāva, devotion to God as if he were other than oneself, because such devotion will purify the mind and thereby give it the clarity to understand that God is actually what always exists and shines in our heart as ‘I’, and this is particularly true of the name and form of Arunachala, because they have a unique power to turn the mind back within to face its real nature (ātma-svarūpa), which is the true form (svarūpa) of Arunachala, as Bhagavan knew from his own experience and as he reveals in this verse
2019-11-22: Just one thought of Arunachala is enough to grant liberation, because if we think of it even once, that will start a process whereby our mind will be cleansed of its outgoing desires and thereby drawn back to face within and be devoured by pure awareness, which is the real nature of Arunachala, as Bhagavan described in this verse
2019-03-29: What Bhagavan refers to in the first verse of Śrī Aruṇācala Aṣṭakam as ‘இதன் செயல்’ (idaṉ seyal), ‘its action’, is described by him in more detail in the second sentence of this verse: ‘ஒருதரம் இதனை ஓர்த்திடும் உயிரின் சேட்டையை ஒடுக்கி, ஒரு தனது அபிமுகம் ஆக ஈர்த்து, அதை தன் போல் அசலமா செய்து, அவ் இன் உயிர் பலி கொளும்’ (orudaram idaṉai ōrttiḍum uyiriṉ cēṭṭaiyai oḍukki, oru taṉadu abhimukham-āha īrttu, adai taṉ pōl acalamā seydu, a-vv-iṉ uyir bali koḷum), ‘Subduing the mischievous activity of the soul who thinks of it once, pulling [dragging or attracting] [that soul] to face towards itself, the one [or peerless] [infinite self-awareness that shines within the heart as ‘I’], and [thereby] making it acala [motionless] like itself, it accepts [and consumes] that sweet [spiritually ripened and pure] soul as bali [food offered in sacrifice]’. In other words, if we think even once of Arunachala, it will eventually consume us by drawing our attention within to face ourself, which is its true form (svarūpa). Such is the wonderful action of Arunachala
2017-03-19: The clear implication of the first verse of Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai is that Arunachala will eradicate ego if we think of it by turning our attention deep within towards ‘I’, the heart, the very centre of ourself, but even if we think of the outwardly perceptible name and form of Arunachala (or Bhagavan), that will eventually lead to the destruction of ego, because its name and form (and also Bhagavan’s name and form) have a unique power to turn our attention back towards ourself, as he indicates in this tenth verse of Śrī Aruṇācala Padigam

Verse 11:

கிரியிது பரமாக் கருதிய வென்போற்
      கெட்டவ ரெத்தனை கொல்லோ
விரிதுய ராலிப் பிழைப்பினில் விழைவு
      விட்டுடல் விட்டிட விரகு
கருதியே திரிவீர் கருத்தினு ளொருகாற்
      கருதிடக் கொலாமலே கொல்லு
மருமருந் தொன்றுண் டவனியி லதுதா
      னருணமா திரமென வறிவீர்.

giriyidu paramāk karudiya veṉbōṯ
      keṭṭava rettaṉai kollō
virituya rālip piṙaippiṉil viṙaivu
      viṭṭuḍal viṭṭiḍa virahu
karudiyē tirivīr karuttiṉu ḷorukāṯ
      karudiḍak kolāmalē kollu
marumarun doṉḏṟuṇ ḍavaṉiyi ladudā
      ṉaruṇamā dirameṉa vaṟivīr.

பதச்சேதம்: கிரி இது பரமா கருதிய என் போல் கெட்டவர் எத்தனை கொல்லோ! விரி துயரால் இப் பிழைப்பினில் விழைவு விட்டு உடல் விட்டிட விரகு கருதியே திரிவீர், கருத்தினுள் ஒருகால் கருதிட கொலாமலே கொல்லும் அரு மருந்து ஒன்று உண்டு அவனியில். அது தான் அருண மாதிரம் என அறிவீர்.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): giri-y-idu paramā karudiya eṉ-pōl keṭṭavar ettaṉai-kollō! viri tuyarāl i-p-piṙaippiṉil viṙaivu viṭṭu uḍal viṭṭiḍa virahu karudiyē tirivīr, karuttiṉuḷ orukāl karudiḍa kolāmalē kollum aru-marundu oṉḏṟu uṇḍu avaṉiyil. adu-tāṉ aruṇa-mādiram eṉa aṟivīr.

English translation: Like me who considered this hill to be the Supreme, how many are those who have been destroyed! You who are wandering about thinking of a means to give up the body, having given up desire for this life because of immense misery, there is on Earth one thing, a rare medicine, that when thought of once within the mind will kill without killing. Know that it indeed is Aruna Hill.

Explanatory paraphrase: Like me who considered this hill to be the Supreme [or who meditated upon this hill as the Supreme], how many are those who have [thereby] been destroyed! You who are wandering about thinking of a means to give up the body, having given up desire for this life because of [its] immense [pervasive, expanding or increasing] misery, there is on earth one thing [one means to give up the body], a rare [or pre-eminent] medicine, that when thought of once within the mind will kill [ego, the false identification ‘I am this body’] without killing [us]. Know that it indeed is Aruna Hill.

Padavurai (word-explanation): கிரியிது (giri-y-idu): this hill {compound of giri, ‘hill’ or ‘mountain’, and the proximal demonstrative pronoun idu, ‘this’} | பரமா (paramā): as the Supreme, to be the Supreme {compound of param, Tamil form of the Sanskrit para, used here in a superlative sense, ‘supreme’, and the adverbial suffix ā, ‘being’, ‘to be’ or ‘as’} | கருதிய (karudiya): who considered {past adjectival participle of karudu, ‘consider’, ‘regard’, ‘think deeply’ or ‘meditate’} | என்போல் (eṉbōl): like me {compound of eṉ, ‘me’ (inflectional base of the first person singular pronoun), and pōl, ‘like’ (particle of comparison and the root of a verb meaning ‘resemble’ or ‘be like’)} | கெட்டவர் (keṭṭavar): those who were destroyed, those who have been destroyed {masculine and feminine third person plural (or honorific) pronominal noun formed from keṭṭa, past adjectival participle of keḍu, ‘perish’, ‘be destroyed’, ‘be annihilated’ or ‘be ruined’ | எத்தனைகொல்லோ (ettaṉai-kollō): how many {compound of the interrogative adjective ettaṉai, ‘how many’ or ‘how much’, and kollō, which here serves as an exclamatory suffix} >>> so ‘கிரி இது பரமா கருதிய என் போல் கெட்டவர் எத்தனை கொல்லோ!’ (giri-y-idu paramā karudiya eṉ-pōl keṭṭavar ettaṉai-kollō!) means ‘Like me who considered this hill to be the Supreme, how many are those who have been destroyed!’, which implies:

Like me who considered this hill to be the Supreme [or who meditated upon this hill as the Supreme], how many are those who have [thereby] been destroyed!

<<< விரி (viri): expanding, expansive, pervasive, immense, spreading, increasing {viri is both a verb that means ‘expand’, ‘extend’, ‘pervade’, ‘spread out’, ‘open’, ‘blossom’ or ‘unfold’ and a noun that means ‘expanse’ or ‘fullness’, but here it is used in an adjectival sense, ‘immense’, ‘pervasive’, ‘expanding’ or ‘increasing’} | துயரால் (tuyarāl): by misery, because of misery {instrumental (third case) form of tuyar, ‘misery’, ‘grief’, ‘sorrow’ or ‘affliction’} | இப்பிழைப்பினில் (i-p-piṙaippiṉil): in this life, on this life, for this life {locative (seventh case} form of i-p-piṙaippu, compound of the proximal demonstrative prefix i, ‘this’, and piṙaippu, ‘life’} | விழைவு (viṙaivu): desire | விட்டு (viṭṭu): leaving, letting go, abandoning, getting rid of, giving up, having given up {adverbial participle} | உடல் (uḍal): body | விட்டிட (viṭṭiḍa): to leave, to give up {infinitive of viḍu, ‘leave’ or ‘let go’} | விரகு (virahu): means | கருதியே (karudiyē): thinking, considering {intensified adverbial participle} | திரிவீர் (tirivīr): you who are wandering about {future (but used generically as a continuous present) second person plural pronominal noun formed from the verb tiri, ‘walk about’, ‘roam’ or ‘wander’, used here in a vocative (eighth case) sense} >>> so ‘விரி துயரால் இப் பிழைப்பினில் விழைவு விட்டு உடல் விட்டிட விரகு கருதியே திரிவீர்’ (viri tuyarāl i-p-piṙaippiṉil viṙaivu viṭṭu uḍal viṭṭiḍa virahu karudiyē tirivīr) means ‘You who are wandering about thinking of a means to give up the body, having given up desire for this life because of immense misery’ <<< கருத்தினுள் (karuttiṉuḷ): within the mind {locative (seventh case} form of karuttu, ‘mind’, in which the locative ending uḷ means ‘inside’ or ‘within’} | ஒருகால் (orukāl): one time, once {compound of oru, ‘one’, and kāl, ‘time’} | கருதிட (karudiḍa): when thought of {infinitive used idiomatically to denote ‘when’} | கொலாமலே (kolāmalē): not killing, without killing {poetic abbreviation of kollāmalē, intensified negative adverbial participle} | கொல்லும் (kollum): which will kill {future adjectival participle} | அருமருந்து (aru-marundu): rare medicine, pre-eminent medicine {compound of aru, ‘rare’ or ‘pre-eminent’, and marundu, ‘medicine’} | ஒன்று (oṉḏṟu): one, one thing, what is unique, what is incomparable {noun} | உண்டு (uṇḍu): there is {tenseless finite verb denoting being or existence, used for all genders, persons and numbers} | அவனியில் (avaṉiyil): on Earth {locative (seventh case} form of avaṉi, ‘Earth’} >>> so ‘கருத்தினுள் ஒருகால் கருதிட கொலாமலே கொல்லும் அரு மருந்து ஒன்று உண்டு அவனியில்’ (karuttiṉuḷ orukāl karudiḍa kolāmalē kollum aru-marundu oṉḏṟu uṇḍu avaṉiyil) means ‘there is on Earth one thing, a rare medicine, that when thought of once within the mind will kill without killing’, and hence this second sentence, ‘விரி துயரால் இப் பிழைப்பினில் விழைவு விட்டு உடல் விட்டிட விரகு கருதியே திரிவீர், கருத்தினுள் ஒருகால் கருதிட கொலாமலே கொல்லும் அரு மருந்து ஒன்று உண்டு அவனியில்’ (viri tuyarāl i-p-piṙaippiṉil viṙaivu viṭṭu uḍal viṭṭiḍa virahu karudiyē tirivīr, karuttiṉuḷ orukāl karudiḍa kolāmalē kollum aru-marundu oṉḏṟu uṇḍu avaṉiyil), means ‘You who are wandering about thinking of a means to give up the body, having given up desire for this life because of immense misery, there is on Earth one thing, a rare medicine, that when thought of once within the mind will kill without killing’, which implies:

You who are wandering about thinking of a means to give up the body, having given up desire for this life because of [its] immense [pervasive, expanding or increasing] misery, there is on Earth one thing [one means to give up the body], a rare [or pre-eminent] medicine, that when thought of once within the mind will kill [ego, the false identification ‘I am this body’] without killing [us].

<<< அதுதான் (adu-tāṉ): that indeed, it indeed {compound of the distal demonstrative pronoun adu, ‘that’ or ‘it’, and the intensifying suffix tāṉ, which in this context implies ‘indeed’, ‘certainly’ or ‘definitely’} | அருணமாதிரம் (aruṇa-mādiram): Aruna Hill {compound of aruṇa, ‘Aruna’, and mādiram, ‘hill’ or ‘mountain’} | என (eṉa): that {infinitive of eṉ, ‘say’, used here as a conjunction} | அறிவீர் (aṟivīr): may you know, know {future second person plural form of aṟi, ‘know’, used here as an optative or polite imperative} >>> so ‘அது தான் அருண மாதிரம் என அறிவீர்’ (adu tāṉ aruṇa mādiram eṉa aṟivīr) means:

Know that it indeed is Aruna Hill.